ty 


PETER  THE  WHALER; 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE 


ADVENTURES  IN  THE  ARCTIC  REGIONS  AND  OTHER 
PARTS  OF  THE  WORLD. 


BY 

WILLIAM   If.  G.  KINGSTON,  ESQ., 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  MIDSHIPMAN  MAUMADUKE  MERRY'-  -ROUSE  THE 


»7777  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


CHICAGO   AND   NEW   YORK: 

BELFORD,  CLARKE   &   COMPANY, 

PUBLISHERS. 


A 

DEDICATORY  PREFACE, 

TO 

HAHRY   PAUL    BURRARD, 

(THE   AUTHOR'S  COUSIN.) 

MY  DEAR  HARRY — I  understand  that  you  are  intended 
for  that  noble  service,  to  which  our  great  uncle,  Admiral 
Sir  Harry  Burrard  Neale,  was  so  bright  an  ornament 

The  navy  is  a  profession  in  which,  perhaps,  more  than 
in  any  other,  energy,  perseverance,  courage,  self-reliance 
and  endurance  are  required ;  and  I  may  add  (though  that 
is,  indeed,  necessary  in  every  walk  of  life),  a  firm  trust 
in  God's  good  providence.  I  have,  therefore,  in  the 
following  history,  endeavored  to  show  the  importance 
of  those  qualities  :  and  I  shall  be  amply  repaid  for  my 
labor,  if  it  in  any  way  contributes  to  prepare  you  for 
encountering  the  difficulties  and  dangers  to  which,  ir 
your  course  through  life,  whatever  may  be  your  calling, 
you  must  inevitably  be  exposed.  The  incidents  were 
narrated  to  me  by  a  young  gentleman,  the  original  of 
Peter  Lefrcy,  who  is,  in  every  respect,  a  real  character  j 
and  although  many  years  have  passed  since  he  told  me 
the  story,  his  extraordinary  adventures  made  so  deep  an 


202SS16 


'V  DEDICATION. 

impression  on  me,  that  they  were  still  fresh  on  my  mem 
ory  when  I  commenced  the  work. 

1  was  particularly  struck  with  the  account  of  tha 
wreck  of  the  American  man-of-war  on  the  iceberg; 
which,  wonderful  as  it  may  appear,  I  have  told  exactly 
as  he  described  it ;  indeed,  as  far  as  circumstances  would 
allow,  I  have  rigidly  adhered  to  the  truth,  and  I  hope 
that  this  will  not  detract  from  the  interest  of  the  tale, 
but  will  serve  as  another  proof  to  those  already  existing, 
that  reality  is  often  stranger  than  fiction. 

I  cannot  better  conclude,  than  by  urging  you  to  study 
the  character,  and  to  endeavor  to  imitate  the  example 
of  that  great  and  good  man,  of  whom  I  have  spoken. 
Beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him,  he  was 
especially  honored  and  esteemed  by  his  Sovereign, 
while  by  those  he  commanded,  he  was  ever  looked  upon 
as  a  father  and  a  friend  *  As  a  proof  of  this,  I  may  tell 
you,  that  at  the  unhappy  mutiny  at  the  Nore,  his  crew 
alone  of  all  the  fleet  remained  faithful  to  their  duty,  and 
while  they  willingly  went  to  their  guns,  ready,  if  neces- 
sary, to  fight  their  way,  he  carried  his  ship  out  from 
among  the  rest  in  triumph. 

It  is  an  honor  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  such  a 
man;  and  that  you.  my  dear  young  cousin,  may  be 
ever  truly  worthy  of  him,  and  of  the  name  you  bear,  is 
the  earnest  wish  of  yours  most  sincerely, 

THE  AUTHOR. 

*  He  would  not  allow  abusive  language  to  be  used  toward! 
any  of  his  crew,  and,  I  believe,  in  the  i/hola  course  of  his  life 
vi  oalh  never  escaped  his  lips. 


CONTENTS, 


M4I 

JHAP.  I.— An  Account  of  my  Family  and  Early  Life.— I  neg- 
lect the  Precepts  of  my  Father,  and  listen  to  ati  Evil 
Counsellor  8 

CHAP.  II. — Why  I  went  to  Sea.  I  suffer  in  consequence  of 
acting  upon  the  Advice  of  an  Evil  Counsellor.  I  visit 
Lord  Fetherston's  Property,  and  find  that  it  is  easier  to 
make  a  False  Step  than  to  retrace  it 37 

CHAP.  III. — I  visit  Liverpool,  and  gain  some  insight  into  the 
Ways  of  the  World.— Am  introduced  to  the  Master  of 
the  Black.S\van 27 

CHAP.  IV. — I  go  on  board  the  Black  Swan,  and  offer  to  make 
myself  useful ;  but  my  Services  are  not  appreciated.— 
I  meet  Silas  Flint,  and  make  the  Acquaintance  of  some 
British  Emigrants. — I  discover  that  there  are  others 
worse  off  than  myself 31 

UHAP.  V. — My  first  experience  of  a  Sea  Life. — The  embar- 
cation  of  Emigrants  for  North  America. — The  First 
Mate  reminds  me  that  I  offered  to  make  myself  useful. 
— Description  of  a  North  American  Emigrant  Ship. — 
We  sail,  and  I  go  aloft  for  the  first  time.— Dick  Der- 
rick's advice  and  instruction 45 

CHI"  VI.— Flint  shows  he  has  not  forgotten  me. — My  first 
introduction  to  Ice.  of  which  I  am  destined  to  see  much 
more. — A  Foundering  Ship 63 

CHAP.  VII. — 1  claim  my  Rights,  but  do  not  get  them  ac- 
knowledged.— Am  treated  as  a  Mutineer. — A  Friend  in 
Need. — I  discover  that  there  are  other  things  to  be 
guarded  against  besides  Rocks,  and  Shoals,  and  Ice- 
berg«.— A  Ship  on  Fire 59 

CHAP.  VIII. — Consequences  of  the  Want  of  Discipline. — 
Our  Captain  deserts  us. — Rafts  are  built,  and  many 
trust  themselves  on  them. — Courage  and  Coolness  of 
our  Second  Mate 67 

CHAP.  IX. — I  obtain  a  Proof  that  the  Gentle  and  Humane 
are  generally  brave  in  the  Hour  of  Danger — A  true 
Sailor  will  not  desert  his  Ship  till  the  last. — Silas  tempts 
me  to  go  away  on  the  Kan.  Aid  comes  when  Hope  has 
almost  departed — A  few  are  saved,  but  a  bitter  Disap- 
pointment awaits  the  rest. — A  Storm  comes  on.  and  we 
lose  sight  of  the  Mary's  Light 7S 

OBAP.  X. — AVe  once  more  see  the  Mary. — Our  Hopes  of 
Preservation  are  a^ain  disappointed. — The  Fire  is  es- 

'hed  by  its  mure  powerful  Rival 81 


fl  CONTENTS. 

till 

CHAP.  XI.— Captain  Dean  and  his  Daughter  a  contrast  to 
Captain  Swales  and  Mr.  Stovin. — I  am  taken  ill,  and 
gently  nursed. — We  reach  a  Port  at  last. — A  Descrip- 
tion of  Quebec. — A  Conversation  between  Mary  Dean 
and  me 88 

;JHAP.  XII. — 1  agree  to  sail  with  Captain  Dean. — An  old 
Friend  re-appears. — He  persuades  me  to  accompany 
him  up  the  Country. — I  visit  the  Lakes 94 

CHAP.  XIII. — Return  to  Quebec. — A  bitter  Disappointment. 
— Search  in  vain  for  my  Friends. — Journey  through  the 
Western  States.— New  Orleans.— Captain  Hawk  of  the 
Foam.— A  Slaver.— Captain  Searl  of  the  Susannah....  100 

CHAP.  XIV.— Sail  for  the  Havana.— Captain  Hawk  keeps 
his  Promise. — A  Surprise. — I  lind  that  a  Romantic  Pi- 
rate and  a  Real  Pirate  are  very  different  Persons. — Am 
taken  Prisoner. — And  lose  sight  of  the  Susannah 110 

CHAP.  XV. — Life  on  board  the  Rover. — Indulge  in  the  pleas- 
ing reflection  that  I  may  possibly  hang  as  a  Pirate. — 
1  try  to  escape. — We  chase. — We  catch  a  Tartar. — Mark 
Anthony  tries  to  induce  me  to  -turn  Pirate. — We  are 
chased. — A  considerable  difference  in  the  sensation 124 

CHAP.  XVI.— The  Pirates'  Retreat.— I  still  hope  to  escape. 
— ThePiratesmake  another  Prize. — I  meet  old  Friends. 
— Mark  Anthony  watches  me. — The  Mary  at  anchor  off 
the  Pirates'  Island. — I  take  the  oath  of  the  Pirates 1, 

CHAP.  XVII. — I  am  left  in  charge  of  the  Prisoners. — Spirit 
aid  me  to  help  my  Friends. — The  Tables  are  turned. — 
My  Oath  compels  me  to  remain  with  the  Pirates.— We 
are  left  in  an  open  Boat. — Find  ourselves  suddenly  trans- 
ferred to  the  Deck  of  a  Brig  of  War.— An  Expedition 
against  the  Pirates 148 

CHAP.  XVIII.— The  Pirates  attacked  in  their  Strong-hold.— 
The  end  of  the  Foam. — The  Pirates  recognize  us. — I 
narrate  my  Adventures  but  am  not  believed. — Arrive  in  • 
Port.— The  Trial.— Am  found  Guilty,  and  Condemned. 
— As  is  expected  by  all  Readers.  Friends  arrive  just 
in  time  to  prove  me  Innocent. — I  enter  on  board  an 
American  Man-of-war 16J 

CHAP.  XIX.— Sail  in  the  Pocahontas  for  the  North  Seas.— 
An  account  of  an  American  Man-of-war. — I  become  ac- 
quainted with  Andrew  Thompson. — lie  describes  La- 
brador to  me. — The  History  of  Princess  Pocahontas. — A 
Man  overboard. — How  to  behave  in  the  Water ]6> 

CHAP.  XX.— Again  Terence  falls  from  aloft,  and  is  saved.— 
We  reach  the  North  Sea. — A  Description  of  someof  the 
Birds  of  those  Regions.— I  am  at  the  Helm.— The  Ship 
strikes  an  Iceberg. — Goes  down. — The  Marines  liring 
on  the  Crew. — A  few  aloiu  Escape ]8f 


CONTENTS.  VII 

FA«I 

OHAP.  XXI. — A  night  on  an  Iceberg. — Andrew  bids  us 
trust  in  Providence. — Morning  dawns. — Beautiful  ap- 
pearance of  the  Iceberg. — We  find  Food. — A  Signal 
fixed  on  the  top  of  the  Berg. — Lose  our  Flint  and 
Steel. — A  novel  Burning-glass. — A  Raft  formed. — 

Some  Treasures  collected. — No  Help  arrives 1 03 

C'HAP.  XXII. — Introduces  a  Second  Day. — I  dream  of 
Home. — A  Sail  in  sight — which  disappears. — An  Ice- 
berg in  motion. — We  try  our  Raft. — We  are  not  seen. 

— A  Breeze  springs  up. — The  Iceberg  capsizes 206 

CHAP.  XXIII.— The  Whale  Ship.— I  join  her.— A  Descrip- 
tion of  a  Whaler. — Her  Boats,  Harpoons,  and  other 
Gear.— The  Crow's-Nest.— All  ready  for  Fishing.— 

Reach  a  Field  of  Ice. — Narrow  Escape 216 

CHAP.  XXIV. — A  Visit  from  Father  Neptune. — I  am  made 
Free  of  the  Arctic  Regions.—"  A  Fall,  a  Fall  !"— Our 
First  Fish. — Tom  thinks  .he  Ship  is  sinking. — Tow  our 

Prize  alongside 225 

CHAP.  XXV. — We  secure  our  Fish. — How  to  carve  a  Whale. 
—A  Greenland  Shark.— Arctic  Birds.— Making  off.— A 
Description  of  a  South-Sea  Whaler.— A  Bear  in  a  Boat.  23$ 
CHAP.  XXVI. — Joined  by  other  Ships. — Land  seen. — Cape 
Flyaway. — Danish  Colonies. — Visited  by  Esquimaux. — 
We  land. — Begin  to  struggle  with  the  Ice. — Fishing  on  the 
Ice. — Tumble  in. — Made  fast  toan  Iceberg. — Cutthrough 
a  Field  of  Ice. — Preparations  for  a  Nip. — The  Nip  comes.  25! 
CHAP.  XXVII.— The  Nip  come.— A  Ship  nipped.— Go  to  her 
Aid. — Rescue  our  Countrymen. — Forecastle  Yarns  about 
Shipwrecks  and  Whale-catching.— The  Nip  takes  off  and 

we  are  free.— A  Beautiful  Scene 26-> 

CHAP.  XXVIII.— Pond's  Bay.— A  run  of  Whales.— More 
Fishing.— Sea  Unicorns.— Lose  a  Fish.— A  fast  Fish.— 
Leave  the  Bay.— An  Account  of  some  Arctic  Expedi- 
tions, sent  in  search  of  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his 

brave  Companions 274 

CHAP.  XXIX. — Summer  drawing  to  an  end. — Homeward 
Voyage. — A  Calm. — Ominous  Signs. — Left  on  the  Ice. — 
Our  Ship  disappears. — A  sudden  Blast. — A  Snow 
Storm. — The  Gale  commences. — The  Whale  and  Boat 
lost— We  retreat  from  the  Sea.— Build  a  Hut.— A 
Visitor  who  proves  in  the  end  a  welcome  one. — We 

keep  Watch—  We  are  in  a  bad  Plight 284 

CHAP.  XXX.-  -I  try  to  encourage  my  Companions. — We 
cook  our  Breakfast. — Set  up  a  Signal. — One  of  the 
two  Ships  heaves  in  sight. — The  Floe  separates. — The 
last  Ship  appears,  but  to  the  southward. — We  cross  the 
Channel. — Erect  another  Hut. — Catch  two  Unicorns. — 
We  travel  on 29» 


fill  CONTENTS. 

FAir 

CHAP.  XXXI. — <~»ur  Journey  continued. — A  Wreck  dis- 
covered.— We  linrl  Tivasures  on  board. — Look  out  for 
a  Spot  to  land. — Find  a  Bay. — Fix  on  a  Spot,  and 
build  a  Hut.— Go  hack  to  the  Ship,  to  fetch  more 
Stores. — Find  Visitors  on  board  the  Ship. — More 
Bear's  Flesh.— Return  to  the  Bay 313 

CHAP.  XXXII.— Visited  by  the  Esquimaux.— We  become 
very  friendly.— Terence  acts  as  Master  of  the  Ceremo- 
nies.— We  begin  our  Winter  House. — The  Esquimaux 
come  with  Sledges  to  assist  us. — Transport  our  Goods 
from  the  Ship.— Honesty  of  the  Esquimaux 327 

CHAP.  XXXIII.— We  visit  the  Esquimaux  at  their  Tents.— 
The  Interior,  and  their  Mode  of  Life.— Cookery.— Danc- 
ing.— They  rush  out  to  chase  the  Sea-horse. — Suc- 
cessful Sport. — Esquimaux  Lamp  and  Fireplace. — 
Description  of  Sledges  and  Dogs. — Return  to  out 
House. — Tom  Stokes  sees  a  Merman 3&5 

CHAP.  XXXIV.— Find  our  Wooden  Hut  very  cotf.—  The 
Esquimaux  show  us  how  to  build  a  Winter  Hut. — We 
follow  their  Example. — A  Snow  Hut. — Esquimaux 
Children's  Toys. — Accompany  Ickmallick  on  a  Hunt- 
ing Expedition. — A  quickly-built  Hut. — Musk  Oxen. — 
Desperate  Encounter. — Kill  a  Stag. — Buried  in  tV? 
Snow T 348 

CHAP.  XXXV.— What  Cold  is.— An  Arctic  Night.— A» 
Aurora  Borealis. — Esquimaux  hunting  the  Walrus  or 
the  Ice. — Seal  Catching. — How  we  employed  our  Time 
— Propose  to  build  a  Vessel.— AnOrew  instructs  us.— 
Daylight  returns 3Ci 

CHAP.  XXXVI.— We  begin  our  Vessel.— The  Esquimauj 
regret  to  lose  us. — Andrew  urges  us  not  to  work  on  a 
Sunday. — Capability  of  the  Esquimaux  for  receiving 
the  Truths  of  Christianity. — We  complete  our  Vessel.— 
Provision  and  store  her. — Our  vessel  destroyed. — A 
Ship  in  the  Clouds. -Doubts. — A  Ship  appears. — Fare 
well  to  the  Esquimaux. — Voyage. — Wreck. — Reach  tn; 
Father's  Home  a  Beggar. — No  ota  at  Home. — Meet 
Captain  Dean. — Return  once  more  \o  my  Family Vt* 


PETER   THE    WHALER, 

HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES 
CHAPTER    I. 

in  Account  of  my  Family  and  Early  Life. — I  neglect  the  Pr» 
cepte  of  my  Father,  and  listen  to  an  Evil  Counsellor. 

"  PETER,"  said  my  father  "with  a  stern  look, 
though  the  tone  of  his  voice  had  more  of  sorrow  in 
it  than  anger,  "  this  conduct,  if  you  persist  in  it, 
will  bring  ruin  on  you,  arid  grief  and  shame  on  my 
head  and  to  your  mother's  heart.  Look  there,  boy, 
and  answer  me  :  Are  not  those  presumptive  evi- 
dences of  your  guilt  1  Where  did  they  come  from  ?" 
He  pointed,  as  he  spoke,  to  several  head  of  game, 
pheasants,  partridges  and  hares,  which  lay  on  the 
ground,  while  I  stood  before  him  leaning  on  my 
gun,  my  eyes  not  daring  to  meet  his,  which  I  knew 
were  fixed*  on  me.  My  two  dogs  crouched  at  my 
feet,  looking  as  if  they  also  were  culprits,  and  fully 
somprehended  the  tenor  of  his  words. 

My  father  was  a  clergyman,  the  vicar  of  a  large 
parish  in  the  south  of  Ireland,  where  the  events,  I 
am  now  narrating,  took  place.  He  was  a  tall  mar, 
with  silvery  locks  and  well-formed  features.  I 
think  his  hair  was  prematurely  grey.  The  ex- 
pression of  his  countenance  was  grave,  and  betok- 
ened firmness  and  decision,  though  his  genersJ 
character  was  mild  in  the  extreme.  He  was  & 
kind  parent,  in  soirs  respects  too  kind;  and  he 
was  very  indulgent  rewards  the  faults  and  errors 


10  FETER    THE    WHALER, 

of  those  not  immediately  connected  with  him.  He 
was  on  good  terms  with  the  Roman  Catholics  of 
the  neighborhood,  of  which  faith  were  the  large 
majority  of  the  population,  and  even  with  the 
priests  ;  so  that  our  family  had  few  enemies,  and 
were  never  in  any  way  molested  by  the  peasantry. 

That,  however,  we  had  some  foes,  I  shall  have 
occasion  presently  to  show ;  but  I  must  return  to 
the  scene  I  was  describing.  I  may  be  pardoned 
for  first  giving  a  slight  sketch  of  myself.  I  hope 
that  I  may  escape  being  accused  of  vanity,  as  I 
shall  not  dwell  on  my  personal  appearance.  I  be- 
lieve, that  I  inherited  some  of  my  parents'  good 
looks  ;  but  the  hardships  I  have  endured  have  era- 
dicated all  traces  of  them.  I  was  well  grown  for 
my  age  (I  was  barely  fifteen),  but,  dressed  in  my 
loose  shooting-costume,  my  countenance  ruddy  with 
fresh  air  and  exercise,  I  looked  much  older. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  would  be  the  lot  of  <t 
poor  man's  son,  if  he  were  to  be  discovered  acting 
as  you  are  constantly  doing  in  spite  of  my  warn- 
ings and  commands  ?"  continued  my  father,  his 
voice  growing  more  serious  and  his  look  more 
grave.  "  I  tell  you,  boy,  that  the  consequences 
may  and  will  be  lamentable  ;  and  do  not  believe, 
that  because  you  are  the  son  of  a  gentleman,  you 
can  escape  the  punishment  due  to  the  guilty. 

"  You  are  a  poacher.  You  deserve  the  name  ; 
and  on  some  occasion,  when  engaged  in  that  law- 
less occupation,  you  will  probably  encounter  the 
game-keepers  of  the  persons  on  whose  estates  you 
are  trespassing,  and  whose  property  you  are  rob- 
bing. Now  hear  me  out.  They,  as  In  duty  bound, 
will  attempt  to  capture  you.  You  and  your  com- 
panions may  resist ;  your  weapons  may  be  dis- 
sharged,  and  life  may  be  sacrificed.  If  you  escape 
the  fate  of  a  murderer,  you  may  be  transported  to 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          11 

distant  lands,  Away  from  friends,  home,  and  coun- 
try, to  work  fcr  long  years ;  perhaps  in  chains 
among  the  outcasts  of  our  race,  fed  on  the  coarsest 
food,  subject  to  the  tyranny  of  brutalised  overseers, 
often  themselves  convicts,  your  ears  forced  to  listen 
to  the  foulest  language,  your  eyes  to  witness  the 
grossest  debauchery,  till  you  yourself  become  as 
bad  as  those  with  whom  you  are  compelled  to 
herd  ;  so  that,  when  the  time  of  your  punishment 
is  expired,  you  will  be  unfit  for  freedom ;  and  if 
you  venture  to  return  home,  you  will  find  yourself, 
wherever  you  appear,  branded  with  dishonor  and 
pointed  at  as  the  convict. 

"  Think,  Peter,  of  the  grief  and  anguish  it  would 
cause  your  poor  mother  and  me,  to  see  you  suffer 
so  dreadful  a  disgrace — to  feel  that  you  merited  it. 
Think  of  the  shame  it  would  bring  on  the  name 
of  our  family.  People  would  point  at  your  sisters, 
and  say,  *  Their  brother  is  a  convict !'  they  would 
shake  their  heads  as  I  appeared  in  the  pulpit,  and 
whisper,  '  The  vicar  whose  son  was  transported  !' 
But  more  than  all  (for  man's  censure  matters  not 
if  we  are  guiltless),  think  how  God  will  judge  you, 
who  have  had  opportunities  of  knowing  better,  who 
have  been  repeatedly  warned  that  you  are  doing 
wrong,  who  are  well  aware  that  you  are  doing 
wrong ;  think  how  He  will  judge  and  condemn 
you. 

"  Human  laws,  of  necessity,  are  framed  only  to 
punish  all  alike,  the  rich  and  educated  man  as  well 
as  the  poor  and  ignorant ;  but  God,  who  sees  what 
is  in  the  heart  of  man,  and  his  means  of  knowing 
right  from  wrong,  will  more  severely  punish  those 
who  sin,  as  you  do,  with  their  eyes  open.  I  am 
unwilling  to  employ  threats  ;  I  would  rather  ap- 
peal to  your  better  feelings,  my  boy ;  but  I  must. 
in  the  first  -place,  take  away  your  means  of  follow 


12  FKTER    Till^     WHALER, 

ing  your  favorite  pursuit ;  and  sv~Hd  you  persist 
m  leading  your  present  wild  and  idle  fife,  I  must 
adopt  such  measures  as  will  effectually  prevent  you 
Give  me  your  gun." 

I  listened  to  all  that  was  said  in  dogged  silence. 
I  could  not  refuse  to  give  up  my  dearly-beloved 
weapon  ;  but  I  did  so  with  a  very  bad  grace  :  and 
I  am  sorry  to  say  that  my  father's  words  had.  at 
the  time,  little  or  no  effect  on  my  heart.  1  say  at 
the  time,  for  afterwards,  when  it  was  too  late,  I 
thought  of  them  over  and  over  again,  and  deeply 
repented  of  my  wilful  obstinacy  and  folly. 

Alas  !  from  how  much  suffering  and  grief  1 
should  have  been  saved,  had  I  attended  to  the  pre- 
cepts and  warnings  of  my  kind  parent — how  much 
of  bitter  self-reproach.  And  I  must  warn  my 
young  friends,  that  although  the  adventures  I  went 
through  may  be  found  very  interesting  to  read 
about,  they  would  discover  the  reality  to  be  very 
full  of  pain  and  wretchedness  were  they  subjected 
to  it ;  and  yet  I  may  tell  them,  that  the  physical 
suffering  I  endured  was  as  nothing  when  com- 
pared to  the  anguish  of  mind  I  felt,  when,  left  for 
hours  and  days  to  my  own  bitter  thoughts,  I  re- 
membered that  through  my  own  perversenese  I 
had  brought  it  all  upon  myself. 

Often  have  I  envied  the  light  hearts  of  my  fel- 
low-sufferers, whose  consciences  did  not  blame 
them.  Let  me  urge  you,  then,  in  your  course 
through  life,  on  all  occasions  to  act  rightly,  and  to 
take  counsel  and  advice  from  those  on  whose  judg- 
ment you  should  rely ;  and  then  not  only  in  the 
next  world  will  you  have  your  reward ;  but  in  this, 
through  the  severest  trials  and  bodily  suffering 
you  will  enjoy  a  peace  of  mind  and  a  happiness  of 
which  no  man  can  deprive  you. 

My  parents  \.;\>\  four  sons  and  lave  daughters 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          13 

My  eldest  brother  was  studying  for  the  Bar  in 
Dublin  ,  and  as  the  family  fortune  was  limited,  we 
were  somewhat  cramped  to  afford  him  the  requisite 
means  for  his  education.  I  was  consequently  kept 
'it  home,  picking  up,  when  I  felt  disposed,  any 
crumbs  of  knowledge  which  came  in  my  way,  but 
seldom  going  out  of  my  way  to  find  them  ;  nor  had 
I,  unfortunately,  any  plan  fixed  on  for  my  future 
career. 

My  mother  was  constantly  employed  with  my 
sisters,  «id  my  father  with  his  clerical  duties  or 
his  literury  pursuits  ;  so  that  I  was  forgotten,  and 
allowed  to  look  after  myself.  I  am  unable  to  ac- 
count frr  the  neglect  to  which  I  was  subjected,  but 
such  was  the  case ;  and  consequently  I  ran  wild, 
and  contrived  to  become  acquainted  with  some 
scampish  youths  in  the  neighborhood,  in  every  way 
my  inferiors  except  in  age ;  and  they  gave  me  les- 
sons which  I  was,  I  own,  too  willing  to  learn,  in  all 
that  was  bad. 

Sporting  was  my  greatest  amusement ;  and  for 
my  age,  I  was  perhaps  one  of  the  best  shots  in  all 
the  country  round.  While  I  confined  myself  to  my 
father's  glebo,  and  to  the  grounds  of  two  or  three 
friends  who  had  given  me  leave  to  shoot,  he  did  not 
object  to  my  indulging  my  propensity ;  but  not  con- 
tent with  so  narrow  a  sphere  of  action,  I  used  fre- 
quently, in  company  of  some  of  the  youths  I  speak 
of,  to  wander  over  property  where  I  not  only  haa 
no  right  to  kill  game,  but  where  I  had  positively 
been  forbidden  to  trespass,  and  where  I  even  kne\v 
people  were  on  the  look  out  to  detect  me. 

I  had  just  returned  from  one  of  these  lawless 
expeditions,  when  I  was  encountered  by  my  father, 
laden  with  game,  and  the  scene  I  have  described 
took  place.  As  I  before  said,  and  I  repeat  it  with 
shame,  I  felt  the  loss  of  my  gun  more  than  I  cared 


14  PETER    THE    V    tALER, 

for  tin  lecture,  or  the  grief  rny  conduct  caused  m^ 
lather.  1  can  scarcely  now  account  for  the  obsti- 
nacy and  hardness  of  heart  which  made  me  shut 
my  ears  to  all  remonstrances.  I  have  since  then 
grown  wiser,  and  I  hope,  better ;  and  I  feel  that  I 
ought  at  once  to  have  asked  my  father's  forgive- 
ness, and  to  have  cheerfully  set  to  work  on  some 
occupation  of  which  he  approved.  With  me,  as  it 
will  be  with  every  one,  idleness  was  the  mother  of 
all  mischief. 

For  two  days  I  sulked,  and  would  speak  to  no 
one.  On  the  third,  I  set  off  to  take  a  walk  by  my- 
self, across  the  bogs,  and  over  the  hills  in  the  far 
distance.  I  had  got  into  a  better  spirit  from  the 
fresh  air  and  exercise  ;  and  I  truly  believe  that  I 
was  beginning  to  see  my  error,  and  was  resolving 
to  do  my  best  to  make  amends  for  it,  and  to  give 
up  my  bad  habits,  when  who  should  I  encounter 
but  Pat  Doolan,  one  of  the  wildest  of  my  wild  ac- 
quaintances. 

Before  a  word  of  salutation  had  passed,  he  asked 
me  why  I  had  not  got  my  gun  with  me ;  and  after 
a  weak  and  vain  endeavor  to  avoid  answering  the 
question,  I  confessed  all  that  had  occurred.  He 
sneered  at  my  fears  and  my  father's  warnings,  and 
laughed  away  all  my  half-formed  good  resolutions ; 
telling  me  that  I  might  just  as  well  go  and  borrow 
one  of  my  sister's  petticoats  at  once,  for  to  that  I 
should  come  at  last,  if  I  was  going  to  give  up  all 
manly  pursuits.  Unhappy,  indeed,  it  was  for  me, 
that  I  listened  to  the  voice  of  the  tempter,  instead 
of  keeping  my  good  resolutions  safely  locked  up  in 
my  own  breast,  and  instantly  hurrying  away  from 
him  as  I  ought  to  have  done.  Or,  perhaps,  I  might 
have  answered  him,  "  No  ;  I  must  not,  and  will  not 
listen  to  jou.  I  know  that  what  I  have  resolved  tc 
do  is  right,  and  that  which  you  want  to  persuade  me 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          15 

to  do  is  wicked — an  instigation  of  the  evil  one ;  sc 
go  away  and  leave  me."  And  if  he  persisted  in  re- 
maining near  me,  I  should  have  set  off,  and  run 
from  him  as  hard  as  I  could  go.  This  is  the  only 
way  to  treat  temptation  in  whatever  form  it  ap- 
pears. Fly  from  it  as  you  would  from  the  slippery 
edge  of  a  precipice. 

Instead  of  acting  thus,  I  sat  down  on  the  heather 
by  his  side,  and,  looking  foolish  and  humbled,  I  be- 
gan plucking  off  the  crisp  flowers  and  leaves,  and 
throwing  them  to  the  winds.  He  asked  me  if  I 
knew  where  the  gun  was  locked  up.  When  I  told 
him  that  it  was  not  locked  up  at  all,  but  merely 
placed  on  the  mantel-piece  in  my  father's  dressing 
room,  he  laughed  at  me  for  a  fool,  because  I  had 
not  before  re-possessed  myself  of  it.  Fool  I  was, 
in  truth ;  but  it  was  to  yield  to  the  bad  advice  my 
false  and  false-hearted  friend  tendered.  I  own  that 
I  at  first  was  rather  shocked  at  what  he  said ;  but 
still  I  sat  and  listened,  and  made  only  weak  objec- 
tions, so  that  he  very  speedily  overcame  all  my 
scruples ;  and  I  undertook  to  get  back  my  gun  at  all 
cost,  and  to  join  him  on  the  following  morning  on 
a  shooting  expedition  on  the  property  of  a  noble- 
man, some  part  of  which  was  seen  from  the  hill 
where  we  had  posted  ourselves. 

Doolan  could  make  himself  very  entertaining  by 
narrating  a  variety  of  wild  adventures  in  which  he 
or  his  companions  had  been  engaged  ;  or  I  may  say, 
in  some  of  which  he  pretended  to  have  been  en- 
gaged, for  I  since  have  had  reason  to  believe  that 
he  drew  considerably  more  on  his  imagination  than 
on  truth  for  the  subjects  of  his  tales,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  raising  himself  in  my  estimation,  thereby 
hoping  to  gain  a  greater  influence  over  me. 

I  have  often  since  met  such  characters,  who  are 
very  boastful  and  bold  in  the  company  of  lai* 


16  PETER   THE    WHALER, 

younger  than  themselves,  or  of  persons  whom  tiicy 
think  will  believe  them,  but  cautious  and  silent  in 
the  presence  of  those  whom  they  have  sufficient 
discernment  to  perceive  at  once  take  them  at  their 
true  value.  Observe  one  of  those  fellows,  the  in- 
stant an  educated  gentleman  appears  in  the  circle 
of  which  he  is  the  attraction;  how  his  eye  will  quail 
and  his  voice  sink,  and  he  will  endeavor  to  sneak 
away  before  his  true  character  is  exposed.  I  need 
scarcely  advise  my  readers  not  to  be  misled  by 
such  pretenders. 

The  property  on  which  we  had  resolved  to  poach 
was  owned  by  Lord  Fetherston.  We  knew  that  he 
maintained  but  few  keepers,  and  that  those  were 
not  very  vigilant.  He  also,  we  believed,  was  away 
from  the  country,  so  that  we  had  no  fears  of  being 
detected. 

I  said  that  my  father  had  few  enemies.  For 
soms  reason  or  other,  however,  Lord  Fetherston 
was  one.  I  did  not  know  why,  and  this  fact,  Doolan, 
who  was  well  aware  of  it,  took  care  to  bring  forward 
in  justification  of  the  attack  we  purposed  to  make 
on  his  property.  I  should  have  known  that  it  was 
no  justification  whatever;  but  when  people  want 
reasons  for  committing  a  bad  act,  they  are  obliged 
to  make  very  bad  ones  serve  their  purpose. 

Pat  Doolan  was  my  senior  by  three  years.  He 
was  the  son  of  a  man  who  was,  nominally,  a  small 
farmer,  but  in  reality  a  smuggler,  and  the  owner 
of  an  illicit  distillery;  indeed,  I  do  not  know  what 
other  lawless  avocations  he  carried  on. 

Very  inferior,  therefore,  as  he  was  in  position  in 
life,  though  Pat  Doolan  was  well  supplied  with 
money,  he  considered  it  of  consequence  to  be  inti- 
mate with  me,  and  to  gain  an  ascendency  over  my 
mind,  which  he  might  turn  to  account  some  time 
or  other.  He  kept  me  sitting  on  the  heather  and 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURER.         17 

listening  to  his  good  stories  and  laughing  at  them 
for  upwards  of  two  h:mrs,  till  he  felt  sure  that  my 
good  resolutions  would  not  come  back.  During  this 
time  he  produced  some  bread  and  meat  and  whiskey, 
of  which  latter  he  made  me  drink  no  small  quantity, 
and  he  then  accompanied  me  towards  my  home  in 
sight  of  which  he  left  me,  with  a  promise  to  meet 
him  on  the  same  spot  at  daybreak  on  the  following 
morning. 

Even  that  very  evening,  as  I  sat  with  a  book  in 
my  hand  pretending  to  read,  in  the  room  the  family 
occupied,  and  listened  to  the  cheerful  voices  of  my 
light-hearted  innocent  sisters,  I  began  to  repent  of 
my  engagement  to  Doolan ;  but  the  fear  of  his 
laughing  at  me,  and  talking  again  about  my  sisters' 
petticoats,  made  me  resolve  to  adhere  to  it. 


CHAPTER    II. 

Why  I  went  to  sea. — I  suffer  in  consequence  of  acting  upon  tn« 
Advice  of  an  Evil  Counsellor. — I  visit  Lord  Fetherston's 
Property,  and  find  that  it  is  easier  to  make  a  False  Step  than 
to  retrace  it. 

THAT  night  was  far  from  a  happy  one  )  for  I 
knew  all  the  time  that  I  was  doing  what  was  very 
wrong.  I  waited  till  I  thought  that  my  father 
and  all  the  hoiisehold  were  asleep  ;  and  then,  with 
the  sensations  I  should  think  a  thief  experiences 
when  about  to  commit  a  robbery,  I  crept  along  the 
dark  passage  towards  his  dressing-room.  1  trem- 
bled very  much,  for  I  was  afraid  that  something 
would  awake  him,  and  that  he  would  discover  what 
I  was  about.  I  was  aware  that  he  would  learn 
what  I  had  done  the  first  thing  in  the  morning ; 


l8  PETER    THE    WHALKit, 

but  then  I  should  be  far  off,  enjoying  ray  sjx  rt, 
and  I  thought  not  of  the  consequences.     I  felt 
way  along  the  passage,  for  it  was  quite  dark. 


and  I  thought  not  of  the  consequences.  I  felt  my 
le  passage,  for  it  was  quite  dark.  I 
heard  a  noise — I  trembled  more  and  more — I  ex- 


pected every  instant  to  be  discovered,  and  I  should 
have  retreated  to  my  room,  but  that  the  thought 
of  Pat  Doolan's  laughter  and  sneers  urged  me  on. 
I  held  my  breath  while  I  stopped  to  listen.  There 
was  again  a  dead  silence,  and  I  once  more  advancedc 
Presently  something  brushed  against  me.  I  waa 
almost  driven  to  cry  out  through  terror,  though  I 
believe  it  was  only  the  cat,  whom  I  had  disturbed 
from  her  slumbers  on  a  rug  at  the  door  of  the  room 
occupied  by  my  sisters.  I  was,  I  may  say,  con- 
stitutionally brave,  almost  to  fool-hardiness,  and 
yet  on  this  occasion  I  felt  the  veriest  coward  in 
existence.  Again  I  went  on — the  door  of  the 
dressing-room  was  ajar — I  was  afraid  to  push  it 
lest  it  should  creak  on  its  hinges — I  moved  it  a 
little  slowly,  and  crept  in.  The  moonlight  wag 
streaming  through  an  opening  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  shutter  on  the  coveted  weapon.  I  grasped  it 
eagerly,  and  slinging  the  shot-belt  and  powder-horn 
which  was  by  it,  over  my  shoulder,  I  silently  bea4 
my  retreat. 

Now  that  I  had  won  my  prize  I  felt  much  bolder, 
and  without  accident  I  reached  my  room.  Sleep 
I  could  not ;  so  carefully  closing  the  door,  I  spent 
the  remainder  of  the  night  in  cleaning  my  gun  and 
getting  ready  for  my  excursion.  I  got  out  of  the 
house  without  being  perceived,  and  closing  the  door 
behind  me,  even  before  the  time  agreed  on,  I 
reached  the  spot  where  I  was  to  meet  Doolan.  A 
hoar  frost  lay  on  the  grass — the  air  was  pure  and 
bracing — my  gun  was  in  my  hand  and  plenty  of 
powder  and  shot  in  my  belt,  and  this  with  the  ex- 
ercise ami  exciteiiH-ut  enabled  me  to  exist  away  all 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          19 

regrets  for  my  conduct,  and  all  fear  for  the  re 
suit. 

I  anxiously  watched  for  my  companicn  as  I 
walked  up  and  down  the  road  to  keep  myself  warm, 
till  at  last  I  began  to  fancy  that  some  accident 
must  have  happened  to  prevent  his  coming.  It 
never  occurred  to  me  that  he  could  play  me  false. 
I  had  not  learned  to  be  suspicious  of  any  one.  At 
last  I  saw  him  trudging  across  a  field  towards  me, 
and  whistling  as  he  came. 

I  could  not  have  whistled  if  I  had  tried ;  but 
then,  bad  as  he  was,  he  was  not,  like  me,  disobey- 
ing a  kind  parent.  When  I  remember  the  sort  of 
person  Doolan  was,  for  his  appearance  was  coarse 
and  vulgar  in  the  extreme,  I  wonder  he  could  have 
gained  such  an  influence  over  me.  I  believe  that 
it  was  the  boastful  way  in  which  he  talked  made  me 
fancy  him  so  important.  I  was  very  innocent  and 
confiding  in  spite  of  the  bad  company  into  which  I 
had  fallen ;  and  I  used  to  believe  all  the  accounts 
he  gave  me  of  his  own  adventures,  and  those  of  his 
own  particular  friends.  I  have,  fortunately,  sel- 
dom met  a  man  who  could  tell  a  falsehood  with 
such  a  bold,  unblushing  front.  I  had  a  great  hor- 
ror of  a  falsehood,  notwithstanding  my  numerous 
faults  :  I  despised  it  as  a  mean  cowardly  way  of 
getting  out  of  a  difficulty,  or  of  gaining  some  sup- 
posed advantage.  I  did  not  believe  that  a  person 
older  than  myself  could  possibly  be  guilty  of  tell- 
ing one.  I  fancied  that  only  very  little  miserable 
children,  or  mean,  contemptible  people,  told  stories ; 
and  I,  therefore,  could  not  fancy  that  such  a  per- 
son as  Doolan  would  even  condescend  to  say  what 
was  not  true.  I  honestly  say.  that  I  always  ad 
hered  to  the  truth  myself :  and  to  this  circumstance 
I  ascribe  my  not  having  irretrievably  sunk  intc 
the  grade  of  society  to  which  my  too  frequenJ 


20  PETER    THE    VTH  ILER, 

companions  belonged.  I  liave  mentioned  Doolan, 
whose  faults  I  would  rather  have  forgotten  ;  but  I 
naturally  wish  to  excuse  myself  as  much  as  I  can. 
and  to  account  for  the  influence  he  had  gained  over 
me — an  influence  he  never  would  have  obtained, 
had  I  known  him  to  be  what  I  now  know  he  was. 

It  would,  indeed,  be  happy  for  the  young  if  they 
always  could  learn  the  true  characters  of  their  com- 
panions ;  and  it  is  in  this  point  that  the  advice  of 
their  older  friends  is  so  valuable.  They,  by  their 
experience  of  others,  are  generally  able  to  judge 
pretty  correctly  of  persons,  and  often  discern  very 
dangerous  qualities,  which  young  people  cannot 
perceive.  Therefore,  I  say  to  my  young  friends — 
Avoid  the  acquaintance  of  those  against  whom  your 
relations,  or  those  who  take  an  interest  in  your 
welfare,  warn  you  ;  although  you  may  think  them, 
in  your  blindness,  very  fine  fellows,  or  even  per- 
fect heroes.  I  wish  that  I,  Peter — your  friend,  if 
you  will  so  let  me  call  myself — had  thus  followed 
the  oft -repeated  warnings  of  my  kind  father,  and 
kept  clear  of  Pat  Doolan. 

Doolan's  loud  cheer,  as  we  met,  raised  my  spirits 
still  more,  and  away  we  trudged  gaily  enough  to- 
wards the  scene  of  our  intended  sport.  He  laughed 
and  talked  incessantly  without  giving  me  a  mo- 
ment for  thought,  so  that  when  we  reached  the 
ground,  I  was  ready  for  anything.  A  hare  crossed 
my  path.  It  belonged,  I  knew,  to  Lord  Fetherston. 
I  fired,  knocked  it  over,  and  bagged  it ;  and  while 
Doolan  was  applauding  me,  a  pheasant  was  put  up. 
and  in  like  manner  transferred  to  my  game  bag. 
Never  before  had  we  enjoyed  such  capital  sport, 
till  weary  with  our  exercise  we  sat  down  to  par- 
take of  the  provisions,  not  forgetting  a  whiskey 
bottle,  which  my  companion  had  brought  with  him. 
\V1  ile  we  were  eating,  he  amused  me  with  an  ac 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.        Isi 

count  of  an  intended  rim  of  smuggled  goods,  which 
was  to  be  made  on  the  coast  two  nights  thence : 
and,  without  much  difficulty,  I  agreed  to  join  the 
party  who  were  to  assist  in  luric.ing  the  things  and 
in  carrying  them  up  the  country  to  the  places 
where  they  were  to  be  concealed. 

On  these  occasions,  conflicts  between  the  coast- 
guard officers  and  the  smugglers  often  take  place, 
and  lives  are  frequently  lost.  This  I  well  knew, 
though,  perhaps,  I  did  not  think  about  it.  I  was 
pleased  with  the  idea  of  the  danger,  and  flattered 
by  having  so  much  confidence  placed  in  me.  I 
thought  it  was  a  very  manly  thing  to  assist  the 
smugglers,  while  Doolan  all  the  time  wished  to 
implicate  me,  to  be  able,  should  we  be  discovered,  to 
shield  himself  by  means  of  me.  After  breakfast 
we  resumed  our  sport.  Our  game  bags  were  full 
and  very  heavy,  and  even  we  were  content.  My 
companion  at  last  proposed  to  return  home. 
"  Home,"  I  remarked  unconsciously.  "  How  can 
I  return  home  ?  How  can  I  face  my  father  after 
having  thus  disobeyed  him  ?"  I  thought.  This 
feeling  had  not  before  occurred  to  me.  I  already 
repented  what  I  had  done.  "  I  can't  go  home  now," 
said  I  to  Doolan  aloud. 

"  Why  not  ?"  said  he  ;  "  you've  a  mighty  fine 
faste  to  place  before  your  dad  :  and,  faith,  if  he's  a 
sinsible  man,  he'll  ax  no  questions  how  you  came 
by  it."  Such  were  my  companion's  notions  of  mo- 
rality ;  and  in  this  instance  he  spoke  what  he 
thought  was  the  truth,  for  he  had  been  taught  nc 
better,  and  he  knew  that  thus  his  own  father  would 
have  acted. 

"  It  won't  do  ;  I  cannot  look  my  father  in  the 
face  and  must  go  to  your  house  now  :  and  I  will 
creep  hone  at  night,  when  there's  no  one  to  see 


22  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

<;  Well,  Pater,  you  must  do  as  you  like."  lie  said, 
laughing  ;  "  you're  mighty  welcome  to  come  to  our 
house  and  to  stay  there  as  long  as  you  plase  ;  at  the 
same  time  that  I  see  no  rason  at  all,  at  all,  why 
your  dad  shouldn't  be  ^lad  to  see  such  an  illiganr 
stock  of  same  for  his  dinner." 

"I  know  my  father  better  than  you  do,  Pat," 
said  I ;  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  asserting  a 
little  determination  with  him.  "  Home  I  will  not 
go  this  day." 

So  it  was  settled ;  and  we  were  bending  our 
steps  in  the  direction  of  Doolan's  house  through 
Lord  Fetherston's  property,  when  another  pheasant 
got  up  before  me.  My  gun  was  loaded,  and  I 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  fire.  The  bird 
fell,  and  I  was  running  forward  to  pick  it  up,  when 
three  persons  appeared  suddenly  from  a  path 
through  a  copse  close  to  me.  Doolan,  who  was  a 
little  in  advance,  ran  off  as  fast  as  his  legs  could 
carry  him,  throwing  away  his  game  bag  in  his 
fright,  and  leaving  me  to  take  care  of  myself  as 
I  best  could.  Two  of  the  strangers,  whom  I 
guessed  to  be  keepers  by  their  dress,  indeed  one 
I  knew  by  sight,  rushed  forward  and  seized  me 
roughly  by  the  collar. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here,  you  young  scamp  ?" 
exclaimed  one  of  them.  "  Killing  our  lord's  game, 
and  caught  in  the  fact,"  he  added,  picking  up  the 
etill  fluttering  bird.  "  Come  along,  and  we'll  see 
what  he  has  to  say  to  you." 

The  other  immediately  made  chase  after  my 
companion  ;  but  Doolan  ran  very  fast  and  was  in 
good  wind,  which  the  keeper  was  not,  so  that  the 
former  soon  distanced  him.  The  keeper  gave  up 
the  chase,  calculating  that  having  caught  one  oi 
as,  he  should  be  able  to  lay  hands  en  the  other 
whenever  he  chose. 


HIS    EAKLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.         29 

On  his  return,  with  many  a  cuff  he  dragged  me 
along  towards  the  third  person  I  spoke  of.  and 
whom  I  at  once  recognized  as  Lord  Fetherston 
himself.  He  did  not  remember  me  ;  but  the  keepers 
did.  I  suspect,  from  the  first. 

"What  is  your  name,  youngster?"  said  his  lord- 
ship in  a  severe  tone. 

I  told  him,  with  the  shame  I  felt  strongly  de- 
picted on  my  countenance. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  "it,"  he  replied.  "And  that 
of  your  companion  ?" 

"  Pat  Doolan,  my  lord."  I  said  this  with  no 
vindictive  feeling,  or  with  any  idea  of  excusing 
myself;  but  I  was  asked  a  question,  and  without 
considering  what  might  be  the  result,  I  answer- 
ed it. 

"  A  pretty  companion  for  the  son  of  the  vicar  of 

• .  Take  away  his  gun,  O'Rourke,"  he  said 

to  the  keeper.  "  And  the  game,  to  that  he  has  no 
right.  And,  now,  young  gentleman,  I  shall  see 
your  father  on  this  matter  shortly.  If  he  chooses 
to  let  his  son  commit  depredations  on  my  property, 
he  must  take  the  consequences." 

"  I  came  out  without  my  father's  knowledge,  and 
he  is  in  no  way  to  blame,"  I  answered  quickly  ;  for 
I  could  not  bear  to  have  any  reflection  cast  on  my 
father  through  my  fault. 

Lord  Fetherston  looked  at  me  attentively,  and  1 
think  I  heard  him  muttering  something  like  "  He 
ie  a  brave  lad,  and  must  be  rescued  from  such  com- 
panionship ;"  but  I  am  not  quite  certain. 

"  Well,  sir,  you,  at  all  events,  must  not  escape 
punishment,"  he  replied  aloud  ;  for  the  present  I 
leave  you  in  the  custody  of  my  keepers.  You  see 
the  condition  to  which  you  have  reduced  yourself." 

He  then  gave  some  orders  to  one  of  the  keepers 
which  I  did  not  hear;  and,  without  further  nctic- 


24  PETER   THE    WHALER, 

ing  me,  he  walked  on,  while  they  led  me  away  to 
wards  Fetherston  Abbey,  his  lordship's  residence 
I  need  scarcely  say,  that  my  feelings  were  very 
wretched,  and  full  of  shame  ;  and  yet,  porhaps,  1 
would  rather  it  should  thus  have  happened,  than 
that  I  should  have  been  compelled  to  go  back  tc 
my  father.  It  was,  perhaps,  somewhat  of  a  conso- 
lation to  feel  that  I  was  being  justly  punished,  and 
yet  not  by  my  father's  hand.  I  don't  know  that 
I  thought  this  at  the  time,  but  I  know  that  I  did 
afterwards.  And,  then,  when  days  had  passed, 
and  many  other  events  had  occurred,  I  felt  very 
grateful  that  Providence  had  thus  disposed  of  me, 
and  had  preserved  me  from  a  fate,  which,  in  all 
human  probability,  would  have  been  mine,  had  I 
this  time  escaped  with  impunity. 

Lord  Fetherston  was  a  magistrate,  and  conse- 
quently, in  the  abbey  there  was  a  strong  room,  in 
which,  on  occasion,  prisoners  were  locked  up  before 
they  were  carried  off  to  gaol.  Into  this  room  I  was 
led,  and,  with  a  heavy  heart,  I  heard  the  key  turned 
in  the  lock,  and  found  myself  alone.  If  I  had  wished 
to  escape  I  could  not ;  and  there  were  no  books,  or 
other  means  of  amusement,  so  that  I  was  left  to 
my  own  reflections.  A  servant,  who  would  not  an- 
swer any  questions,  brought  me  in  some  dinner, 
which  I  could  scarcely  taste  ;  and  at  night,  a  small 
bed,  ready-made,  was  brought  in,  and  I  was  again 
left  to  myself.  Two  days  thus  passed  away  ;  my 
obstinate  spirit  was  completely  broken,  and  1  must 
say,  that  I  truly  had  repented  of  all  my  folly  and 
idleness.  On  the  third  day  the  door  opened,  and 
rty  father  appeared.  He  looked  very  sad,  but  not 
angry.  He  took  a  chair  and  sat  down,  while  I 
stood  before  him.  For  more  than  a  minute  he  could 
not  speak. 

"  Peter,"  he  at  length  said,  "  I  do  not  come  to 


MIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          25 

reproach  you ;  the  grief  I  and  your  mother  feel, 
and  what  you  will  nave  to  endure  henceforth,  will 
be,  I  trust,  sufficient  punishment.  We  must  part 
with  you,  my  son — we  have  no  choice.  You  must 
go  to  foreign  lands,  and  there  retrieve  your  name, 
and,  I  trust,  improve  and  strengthen  your  charac- 
ter. You  have  placed  yourself  and  me  in  Lord 
Fetherston's  power.  He  insists  on  it,  that  you 
shall  forthwith  be  sent  to  sea  ;  and,  on  that  condi- 
tion, he  promises  to  overlook  all  that  has  occurred. 
He  did  not  even  speak  harshly  of  you ;  and  I  am 
fain  to  believe  that  what  he  has  decided  is  for  the 
best.  At  my  earnest  solicitation,  he  consented  that 
you  should  take  only  a  short  voyage  first  to  North 
America,  provided  that  you  sail  without  delay. 
Accordingly,  I  have  agreed  to  set  off  to-morrow 
with  you  for  Liverpool,  whence  many  ships  sail  for 
that  part  of  the  world ;  and,  I  dare  say,  that  I  shall 
find  some  captain  to  take  charge  of  you.  Do  you 
consent  to  abide  by  this  arrangement  ?" 

"  I  think  Lord  Fetherston  is  right,"  I  replied ; 
"  the  life  of  a  sailor,  if  what  I  know  of  it  is  correct 
(little  in  truth  did  I  know  of  it),  will  just  suit  me ; 
and  though  I  regret  to  go  as  I  am  going,  and  grieve 
to  wound  my  mother's  heart,  yet  I  consider  that  1 
am  very  leniently  dealt  Avith,  and  will  gladly  accept 
the  conditions."  So  it  was  settled  ;  and  my  father 
led  me  out  of  my  prison.  Lord  Fetherston  met  us 
as  we  left  the  mansion. 

"  My  son  gratefully  accepts  your  conditions,  my 
lord,"  said  my  father,  coloring  ;  his  pride,  I  fear, 
was  humbled  to  the  dust  (alas  !  through  me)  when 
he  said  so.  "  I  shall  fulfil  to  the  letter  your  lord- 
ship's commands." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  Mr.  Lefroy ;  depend  on  it 
you  act  wisely,"  said  Lord  Fetherston.     "  And  1 
trust  that  we  part  without  malice,  young  man,"  ad- 
3  c 


26  PE1ER    THE    WHALER, 

dressing  me,  "  You  have  my  well-wishes,  I  can  as- 
sure you."  He  held  out  his  hand,  and  I  shook  it 
I  helieve  gratefully,  though  I  said  nothing  ;  and. 
without  another  word.  I  jumped  into  the  car  which 
Lad  brought  my  father  ;  and  we  drove  home. 

There  was  much  grief  and  sorrow  when  we  got 
there,  and  many  a  tear  in  the  eyes  of  my  mother 
and  my  sweet,  ever  kind  sisters,  as  they  packed 
up  my  little  kit ;  but  not  a  word  of  reproach.  Thus 
passed  the  last  day  for  many  a  long  year  that  I 
spent  at  home. 

Let  me  tell  those  who  wish  to  quit  their  homes, 
to  go  roaming  round  the  world  in  search  of  what 
they  know  not,  that  though  they  chance  to  bring 
back  ship-loads  of  riches,  they  will  find  no  jewels 
comparable  in  price  to  a  mother's  fond  love,  a 
father's  protecting  affection,  the  sweet  forbearing 
regard  of  tender  sisters,  a  brother's  hearty  inter- 
est, or  the  calm  tranquillity  of  the  family  roof. 

I  write  for  the  large  and  happy  majority  of  my 
readers  ;  some  few  are  less  fortunate,  and  they  in 
truth  deserve  the  sympathy  of  the  rest.  Cherish, 
I  say,  while  you  can,  the  affections  of  your  home  ; 
and  depend  on  it,  when  far  away,  the  recollection 
alone  will  be  like  a  refreshing  spot,  in  the  weary 
desert  through  which  your  path  in  life  may  lead 
you:  for,  be  assured,  that  there  is  no  place  like 
aome. 


HIS    EARLY    LIKE    AND    ADVENTURES.          27 


CHAPTER    III. 

\  risk  Liverpool,  and  gain  some  insight  into  the  Ways  of  the 
World. — Am  introduced  to  the  Master  of  the  Black  Swan. 

I  REMEMBER  very  little  of  my  journey  to  Dub- 
lin, except  that  it  was  performed  on  the  top  of  the 
mail.  My  father  went  outside  also,  which  was  not 
his  usual  custom  ;  but  he  did  not  like  to  expose  me 
to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather  while  he  was  com- 
fortably ensconced  within  (another  proof  of  his  love), 
and  he  could  not  spare  money  to  pay  for  my  fare 
inside. 

We  saw  my  eldest  brother  for  an  instant,  just  for 
me  to  wish  him  good-bye  ;  and  the  same  afternoon 
we  went  on  board  a  steamer  bound  for  Liverpool. 

She  was  very  different  to  the  superb  vessels 
which  now  run  twice  a  day  from  one  place  to  the 
other,  making  the  two  capitals,  for  all  intents  and 
purposes,  not  so  far  off  as  London  and  Winchester 
were  not  a  hundred  years  ago.  She  was  in  every 
respect  inferior ;  but  I  thought  her,  as  she  was  in- 
deed, a  very  wonderful  vessel.  I  was  never  tired 
of  examining  her  machinery,  and  in  wandering 
through  every  part  of  her. 

I  bad  never  before  been  on  board  a  steamer; 
and  us  I  was  naturally  of  an  inquiring  disposition, 
I  h;ul  numberless  questions  to  ask,  to  learn  how  it 
was  the  steam  made  the  engines  work,  and  the 
engines  made  the  large  paddle-wheels  go  round. 
This  occupation  prevented  me  from  thinking  of 
what  had  occurred,  and  kept  me  in  good  spirits. 

Arrived  at  Liverpool,  we  went  to  an  inn,  and  my 
father  immediately  set  out  with  me  to  inquire 


28  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

among  the  ship-brokers  what  ships  were  sailing 
for  British  North  America. 

"  You  shall  go  to  an  English  colony,  Peter,"  said 
my  father.  "Wherever  you  wander,  my  son,  re 
member  you  are  a  Briton,  and  cease  not  to  love 
your  native  land." 

Liverpool  was  then,  I  thought,  a  very  fine  city. 
I  was  particularly  struck  by  the  fine  public  build- 
ings ;  the  broad  streets,  full  of  richly-stocked 
shops  ;  and  more  than  all,  by  the  docks,  crowded 
with  shipping.  Since  then,  several  of  the  streets 
have  been  widened,  the  docks  have  been  increased, 
and  many  fine  buildings  have  been  added  ;  and  as 
the  wealth  of  Liverpool  continues  to  increase,  many 
more  will  be  added,  till  it  vies  with  some  of  the 
proudest  cities  in  the  world.  Such  is  the  result  of 
commerce  when  guided  by  a  wise  and  liberal 
policy. 

Had  my  father  known  more  of  the  world,  I  am 
inclined  to  think  that  he  would  have  waited  till  he 
could  procure  an  introduction  to  some  respectable 
ship-owner,  who  would  have  selected  a  good  honest 
captain  with  whom  to  place  me.  Instead  of  so  doing, 
ho  walked  into  several  offices  by  chance,  over  which 
he  saw  written  "  Shipping  Agent  and  Broker." 
Some  had  no  ships  going  to.  the  British  North 
American  ports  ;  others  did  not  know  of  any  cap- 
tains who  would  take  charge  of  a  raw  youngster 
like  me.  One  said,  if  I  liked  to  go  to  the  coast  of 
Africa  he  could  accommodate  me  ;  but  that  he  could 
Dot  say  that  I  might  not  have  to  spend  two  or  three 
months  up  some  of  the  rivers,  waiting  for  a  return 
cargo  of  ivory  and  gold  dust.  Another  said  he  could 
secure  me  a  trip  to  China  if  I  would  pay  a  pre- 
mium ;  and  three  others  offered  me  cruises  to  the 
West  Indies  arid  North  America.  The  fact  was, 
that  the  navigation  of  the  mighty  river  St.  Law- 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVEN1  UREfe.         29 

rmioo  was  scarcely  open,  and  consequently  few  ships 
were  ready  to  sail  for  Quebec.  At  last,  a  broker 
into  wnose  otfice  we  entered,  inlormed  us  that  he 
was  agent  tor  one  of  the  first  emigrant  ships  which 
would  sail  that  year  ;  that  her  captain  was  a  very 
superior  man,  a  great  friend  of  his,  and  that  lie 
doubted  not  for  a  small  premium  he  would  take 
charge  of  me.  Mr.  John  Cruden,  our  new  friend, 
insurance  broker  and  general  shipping-agent,  was 
a  very  polite  man  and  extremely  soft-spoken  ;  but 
he  was  of  an  extremely  inquisitive  disposition,  I 
thought,  for  he  asked  my  lather  numberless  ques- 
tions about  himself  and  me.  to  all  of  which  he  re- 
turned the  short  monosyllable,  "  Hum,"  which  did 
not  inform  us  whether  he  was  satisfied  or  not.  I 
found  all  the  time  that  he  was  merely  trying  to  dis- 
cover what  amount  of  premium  my  father  was  likely 
to  be  able  to  pay,  that  he  might  ask  accordingly. 

The  office,  in  which  we  stood,  was  very  small  for 
the  large  amount  of  business  Mr.  Cruden  inform- 
ed us  he  transacted  in  it,  and  very  dark ;  and  ST» 
dirty  that  I  thought  it  could  never  have  been  clean- 
ed out  since  he  commenced  his  avocations  there. 
There  were  sea-chests,  and  cases,  and  small  casks 
of  all  sorts  piled  up  in  all  the  odd  corners.  There 
were  also  coils  of  rope,  and  bottles,  and  rusty  iron 
implements,  the  form  of  which  I  could  not  discern, 
and  bundles  of  old  clothes  and  canvas  bags,  and 
compass  boxes  in  and  about  the  cases,  and  hanging 
from  the  ceiling,  while  a  tarry,  fishy,  strong  shippy 
odor  pervaded  the  room.  I  was  particularly  struck 
with  the  model  of  a  ship  fully  rigged  on  a  shelf 
over  the  mantle-piece ;  but  she  also  was  as  much 
covered  with  dust  as  the  ship,  in  which  the  ancient 
mariner  went  to  sea,  would  have  been,  after  he  had 
shot  the  albatross,  could  any  dust  have  reacned 
c* 


50  PETER   THE    WHALER, 

her.  I  observed  all  these  things  while  our  nev? 
friend  was  talking  to  my  father. 

"  You  will  doubtless  like  to  make  the  acquaint- 
ncce  of  Captain  Elihu  Swales,  Mr.  Lefroy,"  said 
Mr.  Cruden.  "  I  expect  him  here  every  instant, 
and  1  shall  then  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing 
him  to  you,  and  we  can  arrange  matters  forthwith. 
You  will  find  him,  sir,  a  very  amiable,  excellent 
man — indeed  you  will,  sir — a  very  proper  guardian 
for  a  young  man." 

Whether  this  description  was  correct  or  not  1 
had  then  no  means  of  judging.  The  subject  of 
this  eulogium  appeared,  while  it  was  being  uttered  : 
indeed,  I  suspect  he  heard  a  portion  of  it ;  for  sud- 
denly turning  my  head,  after  growing  weary  of 
looking  at  the  dusty  ship,  I  saw  a  man,  whom  I  in- 
stinctively suspected  to  be  the  captain,  standing 
outside  the  little  paddock,  in  which  we  were  en- 
closed, called  by  Mr.  Cruden  his  counting-house, 
with  a  very  peculiar  smile  on  his  countenance. 
Had  I  not  turned,  I  think  he  would  have  burst 
forth  outright  into  laughter.  I  must  remark,  that 
my  father's  back  was  towards  him,  and  that  Mr. 
Cruden,  unless  he  was  very  near-sighted,  could 
scarcely  have  helped  seeing  when  he  came  in. 

"  Ah,  there  is  at  last  my  excellent  friend,"  ob- 
served the  agent  when  he  perceived  that  I  had  dis- 
covered the  captain.  "  Mr.  Lefroy,  allow  me  to  in- 
troduce Captain  Swales  to  you.  Captain  Swales, 
this  gentleman  has  a  son,  whom  he  wishes  to  send 
to  sea.  You  will  take  charge  of  the  lad.  You  will 
be  a  second  father  to  him.  I  can  depend  on  you. 
Say  the  word,  and  all  parties  will  come  to  terms." 

"  Day,  sir,"  said  Captain  Swales,  making  as  if 
he  would  take  off  his  hat,  which  he  did  not.  He 
was  a  very  respectable  man,  as  far  as  dross  went 
—that  is  to  say,  he  was  clothed  in  a  suit  of  black 


HIS    EARLY    LIFP:    AND    ADVENTURES.          31 

cloth,  with  a  black  silk  handkerchief,  nothing  very 
remarkable  certainly  ;  most  masters  and  mates  of 
merchantmen  wear  such  on  shore.  His  figure  waa 
short  and  square,  there  was  nothing  rounded  about 
him  :  his  features  were  all  angular,  and  though 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  him,  it  was  all  bone  and 
sinew.  His  countenance  was  brown,  with  a  deep 
tinge  of  red  superadded ;  and  as  for  his  features, 
they  were  so  battered  and  seamed  with  winds  ano 
weather,  that  it  was  difficult  to  discern  their  ex- 
pression. I  remember,  however,  that  the  iirs\ 
glance  I  caught  of  his  eye  as  it  looked  inquiringly 
towards  Mr.  Cruden,  I  did  not  like,  even  though  at 
the  time  he  was  smiling. 

"  You  wish  to  send  your  son  to  sea,  sir/'  he  con- 
tinued to  my  father.  "As  Mr  Cruden  says,  I'll 
look  after  him  as  if  he  was  my  own  boy,  sir.  I'll 
keep  him  from  mischief,  sir.  Lads  always  get  into 
mischief  if  they  can,  but  with  me,  sir,  they  can't — 
I  don't  let  'em.  I  look  after  them,  sir  ;  and  when 
they  knows  my  eye  is  on  them,  they  behaves  them- 
selves. That's  my  principle,  sir ;  and  now  you 
know  me." 

He  said  this  in  an  off-hand,  bluff,  hearty  way, 
which  made  my  father  fully  believe  that  he  had 
fallen  in  with  a  prize;  indeed,  that  he  was  su- 
premely fortunate  in  having  secured  so  kind  a  pro- 
tector for  me.  It  was'  finally  arranged,  that  he 
was  to  pay  Captain  Elihu  Swales  the  sum  of  fifteen 
pounds  ;  in  consideration  of  which,  in  addition  to 
any  service  I  could  be  of,  I  was  to  mess  at  his 
table,  and  to  learn  what  I  could  of  a  seaman's  duty, 
till  the  ship  returned  to  Liverpool. 

"  The  Black  Swan,"  the  name  of  Captain  Elihu 
Swales'  ship,  would  not  oe  ready  for  sea  for  some 
days,  he  informed  my  father ;  "and  till  she  was  so, 
B.S  he  was  competed  to  return  home  immediately. 


82  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

Mi  Cruden  kindly  undertook  to  board  and  lodge 
ut  tne  rate  of  twelve  shillings  a  week.  I  was  to  go 
JP.  board  "  The  Black  Swan,"  every  day,  to  see  if  I 
\vas  wanted ;  and  I  was  to  return  to  Mr.  Cruden's 
.n  the  afternoon,  or  \vhen  I  was  not  wanted.  My 
father  considered  this  a  very  admirable  arrange- 
ment ;  and  was  perfectly  confident  that  he  had 
done  the  best  circumstances  would  allow,  and  that 
he  had  left  me  in  safe  and  honorable  hands. 

On  our  way  to  our  inn,  we  met  one  of  the  brok- 
er?, to  whom  we  had  spoken  in  the  morning.  He 
asked  if  we  had  found  what  we  wanted.  "  0  yes," 
replied  my  father,  "  an  excellent  man,  Captain 
Swales,  a  friend  of  Mr.  Cruden's — very  superior 
— very  superior  indeed."  The  broker  I  thought 
looked  odd  at  this,  and  was  at  first  apparently 
going  to  speak ;  but  on  second  thoughts  he  seemed 
to  consider  that  it  was  no  business  of  his,  and  he 
passed  on  with  a  cold  "  0  really — good  day,  sir." 
It  was  afterwards  only,  perhaps,  that  his  manner 
Hruck  me ;  at  the  time  I  supposed  that  it  was 
asual  to  him. 

We  spent  most  of  the  afternoon  in  purchasing  a 
jea-chest,  and  an  outfit  for  me,  according  to  a  list 
furnished  by  Mr.  Cruden,  to  whose  office  my  traps 
were  transferred  forthwith.  We  did  not  go  down 
to  see  "  The  Black  Swan,"  because  Captain  Swales 
said  she  was  a  long  way  off,  and  was  not  fit  to  re- 
ceive visitors,  but  that  she  would  be  in  a  few  days. 
He  then  remarked  that  she  was  one  of  the  finest 
and  fastest  craft  out  of  Liverpool.  "  Nothing  could 
beat  '  The  Black  Swan,'  when  she  had  a  mind  to 
put  her  best  foot  foremost."  I  was  wondering  whe- 
ther ships  really  had  feet.  I  afterwards  found, 
that  this  was  a  figurative  way  of  expressing  that 
she  sailed  fast.  These  observations  were  made 
we  returned  with  my  chest  to  Mr.  Cruden's 


H  S    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES          33 

where  we  again  met  my  future  captain ;  and  when 
the  sum  agreed  on  for  my  voyage  was  paid  into 
the  hands  of  the  first-named  person,  my^  father's 
heart  was  softened  towards  me  ;  and  after  he  had 
exhausted  all  the  good  advice  he  could  think  of,  and 
had  given  me  several  useful  books,  and  many  little 
articles  of  his  own  property,  he  made  me  a  pre  • 
sent  of  six  pounds  as  pocket-money,  and  to  pur- 
chase anything  I  might  wish  to  bring  back  from 
America.  He  took  his  watch  out  of  his  fob,  and 
would  have  given  me  that  also,  but  I  persuaded  him 
to  keep  it,  assuring  him  that  I  did  not  require  it, 
and  that  I  should  certainly  break  it,  or  lose  it 
overboard,  as  would  have  been  the  case  probably 
the  first  time  I  went  aloft. 

The  next  morning  my  poor  father  returned  by 
the  steamer  to  Dublin.  He  felt  very  much,  I  am 
sure,  at  parting  from  me,  more  than  he  would  have 
done  under  other  circumstances,  though  by  a  con- 
siderable effort  he  mastered  himself,  so  as  not  pub- 
licly to  betray  his  emotions.  He  was  gone  ;  and  I 
was  left  alone  in  the  big  world  to  look  after  my- 
self, with  little  more  experience  of  its  ways  than 
a  child 


CHAPTER    IV. 

I  go  on  board  "  The  Black  Swan,"  and  offer  to  make  myself 
useful ;  but  my  Services  are  not  appreciated.— I  meet  Silas 
Flint,  and  make  the  Acquaintance  of  some  British  Emigrants. 
— I  discover  that  there  are  others  worse  off  than  myself. 

WHEN  my  father  was  gone,  I  went  back  to  Mr. 
Cruden's  ofiice,  and  asked  him  to  tell  me  where  I 
could  find  his  house,  at  which,  I  understood,  I  was 
to  lodge. 


54  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

He  looked  up  from  the  book  in  which  he  wag 
writing  with  an  air  of  surprise,  and  replied,  "  You 
are  mistaken,  my  lad,  if  yon  suppose  that  I  am 
about  to- introduce  into  the  bosom  of  my  family  one 
of  whom  I  know  nothing.  Your  father  is  a  very 
respectable  man,  I  dare  say.  And  you  may  be  a 
very  estimable  youth,  for  what  I  know ;  but  it  is 
generally  a  different  sort  who  are  sent  to  sea  as 
you  are  being  sent ;  and  therefore  it  is  just  possi- 
ble you  may  be  a  wild  young  scamp,  whose  face  his 
friends  may  never  wish  to  behold  again — hark  you." 

I  blushed  as  he  said  this,  and  looked  confused  ; 
for  my  conscience  told  me  that  he  spoke  the  truth. 

"  Ah !  I  guessed  I  was  right."  he  continued. 
"Now  to  answer  your  question.  While  you  remain 
on  shore,  which  won't  be  for  long,  you  may  swing 
your  hammock  in  the  loft  over  this  office  ;  and  for 
cooking,  you  won't  require  much  of  that.  This  will 
break  you  in  by  degrees  for  the  life  you've  to  lead, 
and  will  do  you  good,  my  lad  ;  so  I  hope  you  will  be 
grateful." 

From  the  determined  manner  he  had  about  him 
I  supposed  that  all  was  right ;  and  had  it  been 
otherwise,  my  spirits  at  that  time  were  too  low  to 
allow  me  to  remonstrate.  I  asked  him  next  if  I 
could  go  on  board  the  "  Black  Swan,"  to  make  my- 
self useful. 

He  gave  a  peculiar  smile,  the  meaning  of  which 
I  did  not  comprehend  at  the  time,  as  he  replied, 
"By  all  means.  You  will  probably  find  Captain 
Swales  on  board — at  all  events  his  first  mate — and 
you  may  offer  your  valuable  services  to  them. 
When  they  have  done  with  you,  you  may  come 
back  here.  By  keeping  along  the  quays,  to  the 
right,  you  cannot  miss  the  ship  if  you  ask  for  her.' 

I  had  scarcely  fancied  that  there  were  so  many 
«hips  in  the  world  as  I  sa^v  cr)wded  together  in  the 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          35 

Liverpool  docks,  as  I  passed  through  them  for  the 
first  time  in  my  life.  It  gave  me  a  great  notion  of 
the  wealth  and  commerce  of  the  place.  "  And  these 
will  all  be  gone  in  a  few  weeks,"  I  thought-;  "  scat- 
tered far  and  wide  to  all  parts  of  the  world,  and 
their  places  will  be  filled  by  others  now  on  their 
homeward  voyage,  which  will  have  again  to  make 
way  for  a  totally  fresh  set."  I  inquired  for  the 
"  Black  Swan,"  of  the  seamen  and  porters  loitering 
about  the  quays  ;  but  I  did  not  get  very  satisfac- 
tory answers.  Some  told  me  that  she  was  drunk 
last  night,  and  had  not  got  up  yet.  Others  said 
she  had  sailed  yesterday,  for  they  had  seen  her 
dropping  down  with  the  tide.  The  boatmen  invari- 
ably wanted  me  to  take  a  boat  to  look  for  her,  as  the 
only  chance  I  had  of  finding  her ;  but  I  saw  that 
they  were  trying  to  impose  on  me,  and  passed  on. 
At  last,  when  I  had  got  very  near  to  the  west  end 
of  the  docks,  I  asked  a  man  whom  I  saw  standing 
in  a  meditative  mood,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets, 
if  he  would  tell  me  where  the  "  Black  Swan  "  was 
to  be  found. 

"  Why,  I  calculate,  if  you  look  right  before  your 
nose,  young  one,  you'll  see  her  as  big  as  life,"  he 
answered,  pointing  to  a  large  ship  lying  along  the 
quay,  on  board  which  a  number  of  men  were  em- 
ployed about  the  rigging ;  while  others,  with  a 
peculiar  song,  were  hoisting  in  the  cargo.  I  found 
that  the  first  were  riggers,  and  that  the  others  were 
dock-porters,  and  that  neither  belonged  to  the  ship  : 
the  regular  crew,  with  the  exception  of  two  mates 
and  the  cook,  not  being  engaged  till  just  before  the 
ship  was  ready  for  sea. 

I  must  notice  here  the  very  bad  system  which 
has  long  prevailed  with  regard  to  merchant  sea- 
men. The  moment  a  ship  arrives  in  harbor,  the 
crew  are  paid  their  wa^es  and  discharged.  On  this 


36  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

they  are  immediately  set  upon  by  harpies  of  every 
description,  I  do  them  no  wrong  when  I  say  that 
they  are  the  very  worst  of  the  human  race :  the 
fiercest  savages  have  some  virtues — these  wretches 
have  none. 

The  poor  seamen  are  cajoled  by  them  with  every 
artful  device ;  nor  do  the  miscreants  cease,  till 
they  have  plundered  them  of  all  their  hard-earned 
gold.  Not  content  with  this,  these  crimps,  for 
such  is  the  name  by  which  the  persons  are  known, 
encourage  the  seamen  to  get  into  their  debt,  chiefly 
for  liquor ;  and  they  then  go  to  the  masters  of 
merchantmen  looking  out  for  crews,  and  make  any 
arrangements  they  please.  Part  of  the  seamen's 
wages  are  paid  in  advance,  and  this  goes  into  the 
pockets  of  the  crimps.  I  have  known  men  put  on 
board  in  a  state  of  brutal  intoxication,  without 
knowing  wk>  were  their  officers,  or  where  they 
were  going  to.  Thus  the  men  were  kept  in  a  state 
of  slavery,  without  self-respect,  or  a  chance  of  im- 
provement. 

I  speak  of  the  system  as  it  was  till  lately.  1 
trust  that  a  better  state  of  affairs  is  now  being  in- 
troduced ;  at  the  same  time,  as  there  is  a  tendency 
in  raost  things  to  let  abuses  creep  in,  I  must  en- 
treat you,  my  young  friends,  in  your  several  capa- 
cities when  you  grow  up,  not  to  forget  the  interests 
of  our  brave  seamen.  On  those  seamen  depend 
greatly  the  prosperity  of  your  country ;  and,  whether 
as  legislators,  or  as  private  gentlemen,  I  tell  you  it 
is  your  duty  to  inquire  into  their  condition,  and  to 
endeavor  to  improve  it  by  every  means  in  your 
power. 

But  to  return  to  the  "  Black  Swan,"  and  the  man 
who  had  pointed  her  out  to  me.  There  was  some 
thing  I  remarked  very  peculiar  about  the  said  man, 
so  I  will  speak  of  him  first.  He  wore  a  straw  hat 


MIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          31 

with  a  very  broad  brim,  a  nankeen  jacket,  though 
the  weather  was  still  cold,  Flushing  trowsers  wide!' 
did  not  near  reach  to  his  inkles,  and  a  waistcoat  or' 
fur — of  beaver,  I  believe,  or  of  wild  cat.  He  had 
a  very  long  face,  and  lantern  jaws.  His  nose  was 
in  proportion,  and  it  curled  down  in  a  way  whu-h 
gave  it  a  most  facetious  expression,  while  a  very 
bright  small  pair  of  eyes  had  also  a  sort  of  constant 
laugh  in  them,  though  the  rest  of  his  features  looked 
as  if  they  could  never  smile.  His  complexion  had 
a  very  leathery  look  ;  and  his  figure  was  tall  and 
lank  in  the  extreme.  I  could  not  have  said  whether 
he  was  an  old  or  a  young  man  by  his  appearance. 

"  Well,  there's  the  ship,"  he  observed,  seeing 
that  I  was  looking  at  him  instead  of  going  on 
board — "  Do  you  know  me  now  ?  (Avith  an  emphasis 
on  the  do)  that's  kind  now  to  acknowledge  an  old 
friend.  We  was  raised  together,  I  guess,  only  you 
wasn't  weaned  till  last  summer,  when  the  grass 
was  dried  up." 

I  savr  that  he  was  laughing  at  me ;  but  as  I  felt 
that  I  had  been  rude  in  staring  at  him.  and  said  1 
begged  his  pardon,  but  that  he  made  a  mistake  in 
supposing  we  were  acquainted,  unless  he  had  visited 
the  south  of  Ireland,  seeing  that  I  had  never  been 
out  of  that  part  of  the  country  before.  This  seemed 
to  amuse  him  mightily,  for  he  gave  way  to  a  quiet 
and  very  peculiar  laugh,  which  I  heard  as  I  passed 
on  towards  the  ship. 

There  was  a  plank  placed  from  the  quay  to  the 
deck  of  the  ship,  and  by  means  of  it  I  stepped  on 
board  the  "  Black  Swan."  No  one  took  any  notice 
of  me,  so  that  I  had  time  to  look  about  me.  She 
was  a  ship  of  some  eight  hundred  tons  burthen, 
though  she  was  advertised  as  of  twelve  hundred. 
She  had  a  raised  poop  aft,  which  I  may  describe  as 
an  additional  house  above  the  deck,  the  doors  of 

D 


38  PETER    THI.    WHA.LER. 

which  opened  on  to  the  deck.  There  was  a  similar 
raised  place  forward,  called  the  topgallant  forecastle. 
Under  the  latter  the  seamen  and  mate  lived,  while 
the  captain  and  passengers  inhabited  the  poop. 
The  space  between  the  decks  was  open  fore  and 
aft,  and  fitted  up  with  standing  bed-places.  This 
was  for  the  abode  of  the  poorer  class  of  emigrants. 
The  hold,  the  remaining  portion  of  the  ship  below 
the  main  deck,  was  filled  with  cargo  and  provisions. 

All  this  I  discovered  afterwards,  for  at  first 
everything  appeared  to  my  sight  an  inextricable 
mass  of  confusion  and  disorder.  After  watching 
for  some  time,  I  observed  a  man  whom  I  concluded 
was  the  first  mate  by  the  way  he  ordered  the  other 
people  about,  and  the  air  of  authority  which  he  as- 
sumed ;  so  at  last  I  mustered  courage  to  go  up  to 
him. 

"Please,  sir,"  said  I,  in  an  unusually  humble 
tone,  "are  you  the  first  mate  of  this  ship?" 

"Well,  if  I  am,  and  what  then ''"  was  his  no  very 
courteous  answer. 

"  Why,  it's  settled  that  I'm  to  go  in  this  ship  to 
learn  to  be  a  sailor,  so  I've  come  on  board  at  once 
to  make  myself  useful,"  I  replied. 

He  eyed  me  curiously  from  head  to  foot,  as  if  I 
was  some  strange  animal,  and  then  burst  into  a 
loud  laugh.  "  You  learn  to  be  a  sailor  ? — you  make 
yourself  useful  ? — you  chaw-bacon.  Why  the  hay- 
seed is  still  sticking  in  your  hair,  and  the  dust 
aint  off  your  shoes  yet.  What  can  you  do  now?"  he 
asked. 

I  confessed  that  I  knew  nothing  about  a  ship, 
except  the  machinery  of  a  steamer,  which  I  had 
examined  in  my  passage  across  from  Dublin  ;  bir 
that  I  would  learn  as  fast  as  I  could. 

"  And  so  you  are  a  young  gentleman,  are  you?" 
he  continued,  without  attending  to  my  observations, 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          39 

"  Sent  to  sea  to  learn  manners :  well,  we'll  soon 
knock  your  gentility  out  of  you,  let  me  tell  you. 
Howsomdever,  we  don't  want  no  help  here,  so  be 
off  on  shore  again,  and  when  you  meet  John  Smith, 
just  ask  him  to  take  you  a  walk  through  the  town, 
and  not  to  bring  you  back  to  make  yourself  useful 
till  the  ship's  ready  for  sea,  d'ye  hear,  or  you'll 
wish  you'd  stayed  away,  that's  all." 

I  must  say,  that  even  at  that  time,  I  thought 
such  a  man  was  not  fit  to  be  placed  in  command  of 
others,  and  yet,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  that  I  met  many 
others  no  better  fitted  to  act  as  officers.  I  did  not 
answer  him,  and  though  I  did  not  understand  what 
he  meant  about  John  Smith,  I  comprehended  enough 
of  his  observations,  to  judge  that  it  would  be  more 
advantageous  for  me  to  keep  out  of  his  way  ;  so  I 
walked  along  the  plank  again  to  the  quay.  There 
was  the  man  I  have  described,  standing  as  com- 
placently as  ever.  As  smoking  is  not  allowed  in 
the  docks,  for  fear  of  fire,  he  was  chewing. 

"  And  so,  young  'un,  you've  done  your  business 
on  board  ;  and  what  are  you  going  to  do  next  ?"  he 
asked,  as  he  saw  me  sauntering  along.  I  felt  that 
there  was  a  kind  tone  in  his  voice,  so  I  told  him 
that  I  had  nothing  to  do,  as  the  mate  of  the  Black 
Swan  did  not  require  my  services. 

One  question  led  on  to  another,  and  he  very 
soon  wormed  my  whole  history  out  of  me.  "  And 
your  name  is  Peter  Lefroy,  is  it  ?  Then  mine's 
Silas  Flint,  at  your  service  ;  and  now,  as  neither 
of  us  has  anything  to  do,  we'll  go  and  help  each 
other  ;  so  come  along,"  saying  this,  he  led  the  way 
out  of  the  dock. 

I  wondered  who  Mr.  Silas  Flint  could  be,  and  yet 
I  had  no  mistrust  in  him.  From  his  manner,  and 
the  tone  of  his  voice,  I  thought  he  was  honest,  and 
meant  n:  e  no  harm ;  and  my  heart,  I  must  own, 


40  PETEK    THE    WHALER. 

yearned  for  companionship.  He  did  not  leave  me 
long  in  doubt,  for  after  I  had  told  him  everything 
I  had  to  tell  about  my  previous  life,  he  began  to  be 
equally  communicative  about  himself.  "  You  see, 
Peter,  I've  secured  my  passage  in  the  Black  Swan ; 
so  we  shall  be  fellow-voyagers,  and  as  I've  taken  a 
sort  of  liking  to  you,  I  hope  we  shall  be  friends.  I 
come  from  'Meriea,  over  there,  though  I  don't  belong 
to  the  parts  she's  going  to ;  but  you  see  I've  got 
some  business  at  Quebec,  and  so  I'm  going  there 
first."  I  cannot  pretend  to  give  his  peculiar  and 
quaint  phraseology. 

I  soon  learned  that  he  was  raised,  as  he  called 
it,  in  the  Western  States  of  America,  that  he  had 
spent  much  of  his  life  as  a  hunter  and  trapper, 
though  he  was  a  man  of  some  little  substance  ; 
that  having  accidentally  seen  an  advertisement  in 
the  papers,  stating  that  if  the  heirs  of  the  late 
Josiah  Flint,  of  Barnet,  in  the  county  of  Hereford- 
shire, England,  would  apply  to  Messrs.  Grub  and 
Gull,  Fleece  Court,  Chancery  Lane,  London,  they 
would  hear  of  something  to  their  advantage ;  he, 
believing  himself  to  be  a  descendant  of  the  said 
Josiah,  had  come  over  to  hear  the  welcome  news. 
He  remarked,  with  his  peculiar  smile,  that  he  had 
heard  a  great  deal  which  might  be  very  advanta- 
geous to  him,  and  which  might  or  might  not  be 
true,  but  that  he  had  got  nothing — that  he  had  es- 
tablished his  undoubted  claim  to  be  one  of  the  heirs 
of  the  said  Josiah,  but  that  he  had  fifty  cousins, 
who  had  turned  up  in  all  directions,  and  whom  he 
would  never  otherwise  have  had  the  happiness  of 
knowing.  The  gain  in  this  case  did  not  seem  great, 
as  they  none  of  them  showed  any  cousinly  affection, 
but  did  their  best  to  prove  that  he  was  an  impos- 
tor. Thus  all  his  share  of  his  grandfather's  pro- 
perty went  in  law  expenses ;  and  he  was  going 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    A^> VEN1 URES.         41 

back  to  the  land  of  his  father's  adoption,  consider- 
ably poorer  than  he  came,  and  in  no  loving  humor 
with  England  and  his  English  cousins. 

Such  is  the  brief  outline  Silas  Flint  gave  me  of 
his  history,  as  we  strolled  together  through  the 
stieets  of  Liverpool.  If,  however,  I  continue  de- 
scribing all  the  characters  I  met,  and  all  the  strange 
things  I  saw,  I  shall  never  get  on  with  my  history. 
Silas  made  a  confession  which  much  pleased  me  * 
it  was,  that  although  he  had  lived  many  years  ip 
the  world,  he  still  felt  that  he  had  much  to  learn 
and  was  constantly  doing  things  he  wished  to  undo 
— the  last  was  paying  his  money  for  his  passage, 
before  he  had  made  any  inquiries  about  the  ship. 
He  hinted  that  Mr.  Cruden  was  not  as  honest  as 
he  might  be ;  that  he  suspected  Captain  Swales 
was  no  better,  and  that  the  way  the  poor  emigrants 
who  had  come  to  Liverpool  from  all  parts  to  go  by 
the  ship  were  treated,  was  most  shameful. 

He  told  me  that  in  the  first  place  they  were  at- 
tracted there  by  advertisements  long  before  the 
ship  was  ready  for  sea,  partly  that  the  ship-brok- 
ers might  make  certain  of  having  the  ship  filled, 
and  not  a  little  for  the  benefit  of  the  inns  and  lodg- 
ine-house  keepers.  As  soon  as  they  arrived — 
rnopt  of  them  absurdly  ignorant  of  what  was  to  be 
done,  and  of  the  necessaries  required  for  the  voy- 
age— they  were  pounced  upon  by  a  set  of  harpies 
who  misled  them  in  every  possible  way,  and  fleeced 
them  without  mercy.  There  existed,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  say  exist  to  the  present  day,  a  regular 
gang  of  these  wretches — by  profession  lodging- 
house  keepers,  ship-chandlers,  outfitters  and  pro- 
vision merchants.  So  notorious  have  they  become, 
that  they  now  go  by  the  name  of  the  forty  thieves 
for  to  that  number  amount  the  worthy  fraternity. 

Silas  Flint  took  ni*>  round   to  a  number  of  our 


PETER    THE    WHALER; 


intended  fellow-  voyagers,  and  we  founa  them  lend 
in  their  complaints  of  the  treatment  they  had  re- 
ceived, though,  when  he  had  discovered  them,  he 
had  been  able  to  preserve  them  from  much  further 
expense  by  describing  the  character  of  the  country 
to  which  they  were  g>>ing  and  the  things  they  would 
most  require.  Among  them  were  a  great  many 
of  my  countrymen  ;  they  were  generally  the  most 
forlorn  and  heart-broken,  though  they  had  indeed 
little  to  leave  behind  ;  but  then  the  slightest  inci- 
dent would  make  them  forget  their  grief  and  clap 
their  hands  with  shouts  of  laughter. 

The  sorrow  of  the  English  was  less  loud  ;  but  it 
took  much  more,  I  observed,  to  make  them  smile. 
They  were  better  dressed,  and  seemed  to  have 
Bade  more  provision  for  the  voyage.  They  had 
ilso  been  proportionably  more  fleeced  by  the  forty 
thieves.  When  so  many  of  our  poor  countrymen 
are  leaving  our  shores  annually  to  lands  where  they 
can  procure  work  and  food,  we  should  have  a  far 
better  supervision  and  a  more  organized  system  of 
emigration  than  now  exists  ;  and  again  I  say  to  my 
young  countrymen,  when  you  grow  up,  make  it 
your  business  to  inquire  into  the  subject  ;  inquire 
with  your  own  eyes,  remember  ;  do  not  trust  to 
what  is  told  you,  and  if  you  do  not  find  such  a  sys- 
tem established,  strive  with  heart  and  hand,  and 
weary  not  till  you  have  established  it  ;  at  all  events, 
correct  the  abuses  which  too  probably  by  that  time 
will  have  sprung  up.  You  will  all  have  the  power 
of  aiding  that  or  any  other  good  work  ;  if  you  are 
not  in  influential  positions,  if  you  have  not  wealth 
at  command,  you,  at  least,  have  tongues  to  speak 
with,  pens  to  write  with  :  so  talk  about  it  in  private, 
speak  in  public,  write  on  the  subject,  and  depend 
on  it,  you  will  ultimately  gain  your  object. 

It  was  very  late  in  the  day  'when  I  returned  t« 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          43 

the  office.  Mr.  Cruden  was  about  to  go  away.  He 
told  me,  that  as  I  had  chosen  to  be  absent  at  the 
dinner  hour,  I  must  be  content  with  what  I  could 
get,  and  he  pointed  to  some  musty  bread  and  cheese 
arid  a  glass  of  sour,  turbid-looking  ale  which  stood 
on  the  desk.  I  was,  however,  too  hungry  to  refuse 
'it,  so  I  eat  it  as  soon  as  he  was  gone.  An  old  por- 
ter had  charge  of  the  premises,  and  he  now  beck- 
oned me  to  follow  him  to  a  sort  of  loft  or  lumber 
room  over  the  office,  where  he  had  slung  a  ham- 
mock which,  he  told  me,  I  might  sleep  in  or  1 
might,  if  1  liked,  sleep  on  the  bare  boards  outside. 
"  The  hammock's  more  comfortable  than  it  looks, 
young  un,  so  I'd  advise  ,'ou  to  try  it,"  he  remarked, 
and  I  found  his  remark  true.  As  I  was  very  tired, 
I  was  glad  to  turn  in  early  and  forget  my  sorrows 
In  sleep.  The  next  day  I  fared  no  better  than  the 
first,  and  all  the  time  I  boarded  Avith  Mr.  Cruden 
the  only  variation  in  nay  food  from  bread  and  cheese 
was  hard  biscuits  and  very  doubtful-looking  pork 
and  beef.  When  I  told  Silas  Flint  of  the  treat- 
ment I  had  received,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Can  you  mend  it  ?"  he  asked. 

I  told  him,  that  I  could  complain. 

"  To  whom  ?"  he  said.  "  You've  no  one  to  com- 
plain to,  no  friend  in  the  place.  Now  let  me  ad- 
vise you  to  do  as  I  do.  When  you  can't  cure  a 
thing  grin  and  bear  it ;  but  if  you  see  your  way 
out  of  a  fix,  then  go  tooth  and  nail  at  it,  and  don't 
let  anything  stop  you  till  you're  clear.  That's 
my  maxim,  youngster ;  but  there's  no  use  kicking 
against  the  pricks — it  wears  out  one's  shoes  and 
hurts  the  feet  into  the  bargain.  Now,  soon  after 
[  took  my  passage  in  this  here  '  Black  Swan,'  ] 
guessed  I  had  made  a  mistake  ;  but  what  would  have 
been  the  use  of  my  going  to  law  about  it.  I  know- 
ed  better.  I  should  only  have  sent  my  last  dollar 


14  PETER    THE    WHALE  I, 

to  look  after  the  many  which  have  gone  to  prove  1 
was  first  cousin  to  a  set  of  people,  who  wuuld  all 
rather  have  heard  my  father  was  drowned  years  ago 
than  have  set  eyes  on  me.  I  tell  you,  Peter,  you 
must  grin  and  bear  it,  as  you'll  have  to  do  many 
things  as  you  get  through  life." 

I  found  that  my  friend  practised  what  he  preach- 
ed ;  for  so  completely  were  his  finances  exhausted 
by  his  law  expenses,  that  he  had  to  husband  all 
his  resources  to  enable  him  to  return  home.  In 
board  and  lodging,  he  was  worse  off  than  I  was  ;  and. 
as  he  said,  he  was  accustomed  to  camp  out  at  night, 
to  save  the  expense  of  a  bed.  He  used  to  amuse 
himself  in  the  day  by  walking  about  to  look  out 
for  a  snug  place  to  sleep  in  at  night,  either  in  the 
city  or  its  neighborhood  ;  and  he  seldom  occupied 
the  same  spot  two  nights  running.  He  assured 
me,  and  I  believed  him,  that  it  was  far  pleasanter 
than  sleeping  in  the  close  atmosphere  of  a  crowded 
room  ;  and  it  reminded  him,  faintly,  of  his  beloved 
prairies,  on  which  he  had  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  life.  The  chief  portion  of  every  day,  for  a 
week  before  the  ship  was  reported  ready  for  sail- 
ing, I  passed  with  my  new-found  friend ;  and,  as 
may  be  supposed,  I  did  not  again  offer  my  valuable 
services  to  the  mate  of  the  Black  Swan,  nor  was 
«ny  inquiry  made  after  me  by  her  worthy  captain 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES  4£ 


CHAPTER    V. 

My  first  experience  of  a  Sea  Life.— The  embarkation  of  Emi- 
grants fjr  North  America.— The  First  Mate  reminds  me  that  I 
offered  to  make  myself  useful. — Description  of  a  North  Ameri- 
can Emigrant  Ship. — We  sail,  and  I  go  aloft  for  the  first  time. 
— Dick  Derrick's  advice  and  instruction. 

AT  last  I  was  informed  by  Mr.  Cruden,  that  I 
might  transfer  my  chest  and  myself  on  board  the 
Black  Swan.  Accordingly,  the  old  porter  wheeled 
the  former  down  to  the  docks,  while  I  walked  by 
its  side.  I  gave  the  old  porter  a  shilling  for  his 
trouble ;  his  eye  brightened,  and  he  blessed  me, 
and  muttered  something  about  wishing  that  I  had 
fallen  into  better  hands  ;  but  he  was  afraid,  appa- 
rently, of  saying  more,  and,  casting  another  glance 
at  me,  I  suspect  of  commiseration,  he  tottered  off 
to  his  daily  avocations.  My  chest,  which  was  a 
very  small  one,  was  stowed  away  by  one  of  the  sea 
men  under  a  bunk  in  the  forecastle.  I  thought 
that  I  was  to  have  a  cabin  under  the  poop,  and  to 
mess  with  the  captain  ;  but  when  I  made  inquiries, 
no  one  could  give  me  any  information,  and  the  cap- 
tain was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Everything  on  board 
appeared  in  the  wildest  confusion ;  and,  I  must 
own,  that  I  got  most  unaccountably  in  everybody's 
way,  and,  accordingly,  got  kicked  out  of  it  without 
the  slightest  ceremony. 

Silas  had  Jiot  arrived,  so  I  could  not  go  to  him 
for  information.  I,  therefore,  climbed  up,  out  of 
the  way,  to  tho  boat,  placed  amidships,  on  the  top 
of  the  'x>oms.  Soon  afterwards,  the  emigrants 


§G  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

bag  and  baggage  began  to  arrive.  I  was  amused 
by  observing  the  odd  and  mixed  collection  of  things 
the  poor  people  brought  with  them,  some  of  the 
more  bulky  articles  of  which  were  not  admitted  on 
board.  The  harpies  were  on  the  quays  ready  to 
snap  them  up,  giving  little  or  nothing  in  return. 
I  thought  that  it  was  a  great  pity  that  there  were 
no  means  to  enable  these  poor  people  to  obtain  bet- 
ter information  before  they  left  home,  to  have  saved 
them  the  expense  of  dragging  so  much  useless  lumber 
about  with  them.  I  pitied  them,  not  because  they 
were  going  to  another  land  where  they  would  get 
food  and  employment,  but  for  their  helpless  igno- 
rance, and  the  want  of  any  one  fit  to  lead  or  direct 
them,  as  also  for  the  treatment  they  were  receiv- 
ing at  the  hands  of  the  countrymen  they  were  leav- 
ing forever. 

Many  of  them  resented  bitterly  the  impositions 
practised  on  them  ;  and  I  saw  some  of  them,  with 
significant  gestures^  take  off  their  shoes  and  shake 
the  dust  over  the  ship's  side  as  they  stepped  on 
board,  while  they  gave  vent  to  their  feelings  in 
oaths  not  lowly  muttered.  Henceforth,  instead  of 
friends  and  supporters,  they  were  to  be  foes  to 
England  and  the  English — aliens  of  the  country 
which  should  have  cherished  and  protected  them, 
but  did  not.  Such  things  were — such  things  are — 
when  will  they  cease  to  be  ?  What  a  strange  mix- 
ture of  people  there  were,  from  all  parts'of  the 
United  Kingdom — aged  men  and  women ;  young 
brides  and  their  hu?Sands  ;  mothers  with  tribes  oi 
children,  some  with  their  infants  still  unweaned ; 
talking  many  different  dialects,  weeping,  laughing, 
shrieking,  and  shouting.  At  last  they  got  their 
berths  allotted  to  them ;  and  they  began  to  stow 
away  their  provisions  and  baggage  between  decks, 
^ome  kept  going  backwards  and  forwards  from  tin 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          41 

ship  to  the  shore,  and,  no  notice  being  given,  many 
of  them  were  left  behind  when  the  ship  hauled  out 
of  dock,  and  had  to  come  on  board  in  boats  at  a  con- 
siderable expense,  after  being  well  frightened  at 
the  thoughts  that  we  had  sailed  without  them. 

We  lay  out  in  the  stream  for  another  whole  day, 
with  the  Blue  Peter  flying,  to  show  that  we  were 
ready  for  sea,  and  to  summon  any  passengers  who 
might  yet  remain  on  shore.  Silas  Flint  was  one 
of  the  last  to  come  on  board,  before  we  left  the 
dock.  He  appeared  following  a  porter,  who  wheeled 
down  his  chest,  containing  all  his  property.  He 
did  not  even  give  me  a  look  of  recognition  as  he 
passed  me  ;  but  he  at  once  plunged  below  with  his 
chest,  and  he  afterwards  studiously  avoided  coming 
near  me.  This  I  thought  odd  and  unkind,  nor 
could  I  comprehend  the  cause  of  this  behavior. 

I  was  sitting  very  disconsolate  by  myself  among 
the  emigrants,  and  wondering  when  the  captain 
would  come  on  board,  and  when  I  should  begin  to 
learn  to  be  a  seaman,  when  I  felt  the  no  pleasing 
sensation  of  a  rope's  end  laid  smartly  across  my 
shoulders.  I  turned  quickly  round  to  resent  the 
indignity,  when  I  encountered  the  stern  glance  of 
the  first  mate,  Mr.  Stovin,  fixed  on  me,  while  the 
"colt"  in  his  hand  showed  that  he  was  the  aggres- 
sor. "  And  so  you  are  the  youngster  who  wanted 
to  make  himself  useful,  are  you  1"  he  exclaimed  in 
a  sneering  voice. 

"I  am,"  I  replied,  "and  I'll  thank  you  in  future 
not  to  take  such  liberties  with  my  back." 

He  burst  into  a  loud  laugh.  "  0  my  young 
cock-a-hoop,  you  show  fight,  do  you?"  he  exclaimed. 
"  Well,  we'll  "see  what  you  are  made  of  before  long." 

"  I'm  ready  to  do  my  duty  when  you  show  me 
the  way,"  I  answered,  in  as  calm  a  voice  as  I  could 
command;  and  I  believe  this  reply  and  the  having 


48  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

kept  my  temper,  gave  him  a  more  favorable  opinion 
of  me  than  he  was  before  inclined  to  form,  and 
somewhat  softened  his  savage  nature. 

"  A  willing  hand  Avill  have  no  want  of  masters," 
he  observed.  "  And,  mind,  what  I  tell  you  to  do, 
you'll  do  as  well  as  you  can,  and  we  shan't  fall  foul 
c-.f  each  other." 

I  will  now  describe  the  "Black  Swan."  She 
measured  nearly  eight  hundred  tons,  was  ship- 
rigged,  and  had  been  built  many  years.  She  carried 
eighteen  hands  forward,  with  two  cooks  and  a 
steward,  besides  the  captain,  four  mates,  and  a 
doctor. 

There  were  about  four  hundred  and  forty  steerage 
passengers,  who,  I  may  explain,  are  the  poorer 
class ;  and,  I  think,  there  were  ten  cabin  passen- 
gers, who  berthed  in  the  cabin,  and  messed  with 
the  captain.  The  steerage  passengers  brought 
their  own  provisions,  but  the  captain  was  obliged 
to  provide  them  with  water  and  biscuit,  just  to 
keep  life  in  them  ;  indeed,  without  it  many  of  them 
would  have  died.  It  was,  I  felt,  like  severing  the 
last  link  which  bound  us  to  our  native  shores,  when 
the  pilot  left  us  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mersey,  and 
with  a  fair  wind  we  stood  down  the  Irish  Channel. 

I  cannot  say  that,  before  I  quitted  home,  I  had 
any  very  definite  idea  of  the  life  of  a  sailor ;  but  I 
had  some  notion  that  his  chief  occupation  was  sit- 
ting with  his  messmates  round  a  can  of  grog,  and 
singing  songs  about  his  sweetheart :  the  reality  I 
found  was  very  different. 

The  first  time  I  had  any  practical  experience  of 
this  was,  when  the  pilot  having  left  us,  and  the 
wind  having  veered  round  to  the  north-east,  the 
captain  ordered  the  ship  to  be  kept  away  before  it. 
His  eye  happened  to  fall  upon  me  for  the  first  time, 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          49 

dressed  in  ray  sea  toggery,  and  seated  with  my 
hands  in  my  pockets,  on  the  booms. 

"  fiillo,  Jim — what's-your-name — we'll  have  none 
tf  your  idling  ways  here  if  you  belong  to  this  ship, 
as  I've  a  notion  you  do,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Aloft 
there  with  you  then,  and  help  furl  the  mizen  top- 
sail. Be  smart  about  it,  or  I'll  freshen  your  way 
with  a  rope's-end,  and  we'll  see  if  you  give  me  an 
answer." 

By  this  last  observation,  I  guessed  that  the 
mate  had  told  him  of  the  answer  I  had  given  him, 
and  I  felt  that  the  wisest  thing  I  could  do,  was  to 
obey  him  without  making  any  reply.  What,  how- 
ever, he  meant  by  "  furling  the  mizen  top-sail "  I 
had  not  the  slightest  notion,  but  as  I  saw  that  he 
pointed  to  the  mizen-mast,  and  that  several  lads 
and  men  were  ascending  the  mizen-rigging,  I  fol- 
lowed them.  I  was  a  good  climber,  so  I  had  no  fear 
of  going  aloft ;  and  while  I  was  in  the  top,  luckily 
one  of  my  new  messmates  who  was  already  lying 
out  on  the  yard,  exclaimed,  "  Hillo,  Peter,  lend  us 
a  hand  here,  my  lad."  On  hearing  this,  I  imme- 
diately threw  myself  on  the  yard,  and  following  his 
directions,  I  made  a  very  fair  furl  of  it.  I  got  no 
praise  certainly  for  this,  but  I  escaped  blame ;  and 
1  saw  by  the  way  the  other  mizen-top  men  treated 
me,  that  they  considered  me  a  smart  lad,  and  no 
flincher. 

From  that  moment  I  was  never  idle.  I  followed 
a  piece  of  advice  honest  Dick  Derrick  gave  me  on 
this  occasion,  "  Never  let  go  with  one  hand  till 
you've  got  a  good  gripe  with  the  other  ;  and  if  you 
cannot  hold  on  with  your  hands,  make  use  of  your 
teeth  and  legs  ;  and,  mind,  clutch  fast  till  you've 
picked  out  a  soft  spot  to  fall  on."  Dick  Derrick 
taught  me  to  hand,  furl,  and  steer,  to  knot  and 
splice,  ti>  make  sinnet  and  spun-yarn,  and  the 
o  F 


60  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

various  other  parts  of  a  seaman's  business.  I  was 
ambitious  to  learn :  and  I  found  the  work  when 
taught  by  him,  both  easy  and  pleasant. 

I  was  placed  in  the  second  mate's  watch,  and  had 
to  keep  my  watch  regularly.  In  this  I  was  fortu- 
nate. William  Bell  was  his  name.  He  was  a  quiet, 
gentlemanly  young  man,  who  always  kept  his  tem- 
per, however  roughly  spoken  to  by  the  captain.  It 
was  through  no  want  of  spirit  that  he  did  not  reply 
to  the  abuse  thrown  at  him,  as  I  afterwards  dis- 
covered ;  but  because  it  was  the  Avisest  and  most 
dignified  course  to  pursue.  As  I  said  before,  I  ex- 
pected to  mess  in  the  cabin,  and  to  be  a  sort  of 
midshipman ;  but  when  I  went  up  to  the  captain 
and  told  him  so,  he  laughed  at  me,  and  asked  me 
if  I  would  show  him  any  written  agreement  on  the 
subject,  for  that  he  knew  nothing  at  all  about  it. 
All  that  he  could  say  was,  that  I  was  entered  as  a 
ship's  boy ;  that  as  such  I  must  be  berthed  and 
messed,  and  do  duty.  If  I  did  not  like  it,  he  would 
see  what  Mr.  Stovin  had  to  say  to  me.  I  saw  that 
there  was  no  help  for  me ;  so  following  Silas  Flint's 
advice,  I  determined  to  grin  and  bear  it. 

We  sighted  Cape  Clear,  the  south-westernmost 
point  of  Ireland.  I  longed  to  be  able  to  swim  on 
shore,  and  return  home.  I  did  not  the  less  wish  to 
Bee  the  world,  but  I  did  not  much  like  the  company 
with  whom  I  was  likely  to  see  it :  Mr.  Stovin  and 
his  rope's-ending  were  not  agreeable  companions. 
From  Cape  Clear  we  took  a  fresh  departure.  A 
ship  is  said  to  take  her  departure  from  a  point, 
the  distance  and  the  bearing  of  the  point  being  as- 
certained when  her  course  is  marked  off  from  the 
spot  where  she  then  is.  At  four  P.  M.,  Cape  Clear 
bore  five  miles  north-east  of  us,  or  rather  we  AY  ere 
five  miles  south-west  of  the  Cape.  This  spot  was 
marked  on  the  chart ;  and  the  distance  run,  and  the 


HIS    E.ARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.         51 

course  by  the  compass,  were  each  day  afterwards 
f  ricked  off  in  like  manner  on  the  charts.  The  dis- 
tance run  is  measured  by  the  log,  which  is  hove 
every  two  hours. 

The  log  is  a  small  triangular  piece  of  wood, 
secured  to  the  end  of  a  long  line,  on  which  divi- 
sions are  marked,  bearing  the  same  proportion  to  a 
mile  which  a  half-minute  bears  to  an  hour.  One 
man  holds  a  half-minute  glass  in  his  hand — ano- 
ther a  reel,  on  which  the  line  is  rolled — a  third, 
the  mate,  takes  the  lo^,  and  heaves  it  overboard, 
drawing  off  the  line  with  his  left  hand.  Thus,  as 
the  log  remains  stationary  in  the  water,  according 
to  the  number  of  divisions  or  knots  run  off,  while 
the  sand  in  the  glass  is  running,  will  be  shown  the 
number  of  miles  the  ship  is  going  in  the  hour.  In- 
stead of  miles,  the  word  knots  is  used,  evidently 
from  the  knots  marked  on  the  line. 

The  mode  I  have  thus  briefly  described  of  find- 
ing the  ship's  course,  is  called  "  dead  reckoning." 
This,  of  course,  is  liable  to  errors  ;  as  careless 
steering,  the  compasses  being  out  of  order,  or  a 
current,  may  carry  her  far  from  her  supposed  posi- 
tion— at  the  same  time,  when  the  sky  is  obscured, 
it  is  the  only  mode  of  finding  the  way  across  the 
ocean.  It  can  be  far  more  correctly  ascertained 
by  observation  of  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  taken 
with  a  sextant  and  a  chronometer  ;  but  I  shall  be 
led  to  give  an  epitome  of  the  science  of  navigation, 
if  I  attempt  to  explain  the  mode  of  using  them. 

In  shallow  waters,  where  the  bottom  has  been 
accurately  surveyed,  a  clever  pilot  will  find  his  way 
with  the  lead.  At  the  end  of  the  lead  a  cavity  is 
made,  which  is  filled  with  grease,  and  according  to 
the  sort  of  rnud,  sand,  or  shells,  which  adhere  to  it, 
he  tells  his  position.  This,  and  many  other  parts 
cf  navigation,  Mr.  Bell,  during  our  night-watches 


52  PETER    THE    WHALKR, 

took  great  pains  to  explain  to  me  ;  but  it  was  net 
till  I  had  been  some  time  at  sea  that  I  comprehend 
ed  them  clearly. 

Mr.  Bell  never  spoke  to  me  in  the  day  time,  for 
if  the  captain  saw  him,  he  was  certain  to  send  me 
to  perform  some  kind  of  drudgery  or  other.  I  was 
set  to  do  all  the  dirty  work  in  the  ship,  to  black 
down  the  rigging,  to  grease  the  masts,  &c.,  &c., 
indeed,  my  hands  were  always  in  the  tar  bucket ; 
but  it  served  the  useful  purpose  of  teaching  me  a 
seaman's  duty,  and  of  accustoming  me  to  work. 
The  captain  and  first  mate's  abusive  language, 
however,  I  could  not  stand ;  and  my  feelings  re- 
sented it  even  more  than  the  blows  they  were  con- 
tinually dealing  me. 

I  have  said  little  about  the  emigrants.  If  my 
lot  was  bad,  theirs  was  much  worse.  They  were 
looked  upon  by  the  officers  as  so  many  sheep  or 
pigs,  and  treated  with  no  more  consideration. 
Crowded  together  below,  allowed  to  accumulate 
filth  and  dirt  of  every  description,  their  diet  bad 
and  scanty,  and  never  encouraged  to  take  the  air 
on  deck,  disease  soon  broke  out  and  spread  among 
them.  Old  and  young,  married  and  single  of  both 
sexes,  were  mingled  indiscriminately  together,  and 
the  scenes  I  witnessed  when  I  was  obliged  to  go 
below,  turned  me  sick  with  disgust,  as  they  made 
my  heart  bleed  with  sorrow. 

The  surgeon  had  little  more  knowledge  of  his 
profession  than  I  had,  and  had  not  the  slightest 
notion  of  what  ought  to  be  done  to  stop  the  ravages 
of  disease.  He  physicked  indiscriminately,  or  bled 
or  starved  his  patients,  without  paying  the  slight- 
est regard  to  their  ailments.  When  they  died,  they 
were  thrown  overboard  with  scant  ceremony  ;  but 
the  men  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  tearing  the 
bodies  of  the  Irish  from  their  friends,  or  of  chil 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          53 

Jren  from  their  wretched  parents  ;  and  it  was  heart 
rending  to  listen  to  the  shrieks  and  howls  of  grief 
as  this  was  attempted  to  be  done. 

However,  I  do  not  wish  to  dwell  on  these  scenes, 
or  to  discourage  emigration.  I  fully  believe  that  bj 
thoroughly  cleansing  the  ship,  and  by  serving  out 
good  provisions,  disease  might  then  nave  been  ar- 
rested. The  object  is  to  prevent  the  occurrence 
of  such  disorders  for  the  future,  by  the  introduction 
of  a  Avell-organised  system.  In  spite  of  all  ob- 
stacles, emigration  will  go  forward,  but  it  depends 
on  every  one  of  us,  whether  it  will  prove  a  curse  or 
a  blessing  to  those  who  go  forth,  whether  the  emi- 
grants are  to  be  in  future  friends  or  deadly  foes  to 
the  country  they  quit. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Flint  shows  he  has  not  forgotten  me. — My  first  introduction  to 
Ice,  of  which  I  am  destined  to  see  much  more.— A  Founder- 
ing  Ship. 

FOR  ten  days  we  had  fine  weather  and  light 
winds,  but  a  southerly  gale  sprung  up,  and  drove 
us  to  the  northward,  and  I  then  found  out  what  it 
was  to  be  at  sea.  Of  course,  I  had  to  do  duty,  as 
before,  aloft ;  and  following  Derrick's  advice  was 
of  service,  or,  one  night  while  furling  topsails,  and 
when  the  ship  was  pitching  tremendously,  I  should 
certainly  have  been  killed.  On  a  sudden  I  found 
myself  jerked  right  off  the  yard  ;  but  I  fortunately 
had  hold  of  the  gasket,  which  I  was  passing  round 
the  mizen  topsail,  and  by  it  hauled  myself  up  again, 
and  finished  the  work.  After  the  gale  had  lasted 
a  week,  the  wind  came  round  from  the  northward 


54  PETER    THE    WHALER. 

and  bitter  cold  it  was.  We  then  stood  on  rather 
further  to  the  north  than  the  usual  track,  I  be- 
lieve. 

It  was  night  and  blowing  fresh.  The  sky  was 
overcast,  and  there  was  no  moon,  so  that  darkness 
was  on  the  face  of  the  deep — not  total  darkness  it 
must  be  understood,  for  that  is  seldom  known  at 
sea.  I  was  in  the  middle  watch  from  midnight  to 
four  o'clock,  and  had  been  on  deck  about  half  an 
hour  when  the  look-out  forward  sang  out  "  Ship  a 
head — starboard — hard  a  starboard  !" 

These  words  made  the  second  mate,  who  had  the 
watch,  jump  into  the  weather  rigging.  "  A  ship," 

he  exclaimed.  "  An  iceberg  it  is  rather,  and . 

All  hands  wear  ship  !"  he  shouted  in  a  tone  which 
showed  there  was  not  a  moment  to  lose. 

The  watch  sprung  to  the  braces  and  bowlines, 
while  the  rest  of  the  crew  tumbled  up  from  below, 
and  the  Captain  and  other  officers  rushed  out  of 
their  cabins ;  the  helm  was  kept  up,  and  the  yards 
swung  round,  and  the  ship's  head  turned  towards 
the  direction  whence  we  had  come.  The  Captain 
glanced  his  eye  round  and  then  ordered  the  courses 
to  be  brailed  up,  and  the  main  topsail  to  be  backed, 
so  as  to  lay  the  ship  to.  I  soon  discovered  the 
cause  of  these  manoeuvres  ;  for  before  the  ship  had 
quite  wore  round,  I  perceived  close  to  us  a  tower- 
ing mass  with  a  refulgent  appearance,  which  the 
look-out  man  had  taken  for  the  white  sails  of  a 
ship,  but  which  proved  in  reality  to  be  a  vast  ice- 
berg, and  attached  to  it,  and  extending  a  consider- 
able distance  to  leeward,  was  a  field  or  very  exten- 
sive floe  of  ice,  against  which  the  ship  would  have 
run,  had  it  not  been  discovered  in  time,  and  would 
in  all  probability  instantly  have  gone  down  with 
every  one  on  board. 

Ill  consequence  of  the  extreme  darkness  it  was 


HIS    EARLY    LIKE    AND    ADVENTURES.         55 

iangerous  to  sail  either  way ;  for  it  was  impossible 
to  say  what  other  floes  or  smaller  cakes  of  ice 
might  be  in  the  neighborhood,  and  we  might  pro- 
bably be  on  them,  before  they  could  be  seen.  We, 
therefore,  remained  hove  to.  As  it  was,  I  could 
not  see  the  floe  till  it  was  pointed  out  to  me  by 
Derrick. 

I  was  on  deck  with  my  eyes  trying  to  pierce  the 
darkness  to  leeward,  and  fancying  that  I  saw  ano- 
ther iceberg  rising  close  to  the  ship,  and  that  I 
heard  strange  shrieks  and  cries,  when  I  felt  a  hand 
placed  on  my  shoulder.  "  Well,  lad,  what  do  you 
think  of  it  ?"  said  a  voice  which  I  recognised  aa 
that  of  Silas  Flint. 

"  I  would  rather  be  in  a  latitude  where  icebergs 
do  not  exist,"  I  replied.  "  But  how  is  it,  old  friend, 
you  seemed  to  have  forgotten  me  altogether  since 
we  sailed,"  I  added. 

"  It  is  because  I  am  your  friend,  lad,  that  I  do 
not  pretend  to  be  one,"  he  answered  in  a  low  tone. 
"  I  guessed  from  the  first  the  sort  of  chap  you've 
got  for  a  skipper,  and  that  you'd  very  likely  want 
my  aid,  so  I  kept  aloof  the  better  to  be  able  to 
afford  it  without  being  suspected,  d'ye  see.  You 
lead  but  a  dog's  life  on  board  here,  Peter,  I'm 
afraid." 

"  It  is  bad  enough,  I  own,"  I  answered  ;  "  but  I 
don't  forget  your  advice  to  grin  and  bear  what  can't 
be  cured,  and  Mr.  Bell  and  some  of  my  messmates 
seem  inclined  to  be  good-natured." 

"  May  be  ;  but  you,  the  son  of  a  gentleman,  and 
for  what  I  see  a  gentleman  yourself,  should  be  bet- 
ter treated,"  he  observed.  "  If  I  Avas  you,  I 
wouldn't  stand  it  a  day  longer  than  I  could  help." 

"  I  would  not,  if  I  could  help  it,  but  I  cannot 
jjuit  the  ship,"  I  answered 

"  But  you  may  when  you  get  to  Quebec,"  he  re- 


66  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

marked  "  I  wouldn't  go  back  in  her  on  any  ac- 
count for  many  a  reason.  There's  ill-luck  attends 
her,  trust  to  that."  What  the  ill-luck  was,  my 
friend  did  not  say,  nor  how  he  had  discovered  it. 

Flint  spent  the  night  on  deck,  and  during  it  he 
talked  a  good  deal  about  America,  and  the  inde- 
pendent wild  life  he  led  in  the  back-woods  and 
prairies.  The  conversation  made  a  considerable 
impression  on  my  mind,  and  I  afterwards  Avas  con- 
stantly asking  myself  why  I  should  go  back  in  the 
"  Black  Swan  ?" 

When  daylight  broke  the  next  morning,  the  dan- 
gerous position  in  which  the  ship  was  placed  was 
seen.  On  every  side  of  us  appeared  large  floes  of 
ice,  with  several  icebergs  floating  like  mountains 
on  a  plain  among  them ;  while  the  only  opening 
through  which  we  could  escape  was  a  narrow  pas- 
sage to  the  north-east  through  which  we  must  have 
come.  What  made  our  position  the  more  perilous 
was,  that  the  vast  masses  of  ice  were  approaching 
nearer  and  nearer  to  each  other,  so  that  we  had  not 
a  moment  to  lose,  if  we  would  effect  our  escape. 

As  the  light  increased,  we  saw,  at  the  distance 
of  three  miles  to  the  westward,  another  ship  in  a 
far  worse  predicament  than  we  were,  inasmuch  that 
she  was  completely  surrounded  by  ice,  though  she 
still  floated  in  a  sort  of  basin.  The  wind  held  to 
the  northward,  so  that  we  could  stand  clear  out  of 
the  passage,  should  it  remain  open  long  enough 
She  by  this  time  had  discovered  her  own  perilous 
condition,  as  we  perceived  that  she  had  hoisted  a 
signal  of  distress,  and  we  heard  the  guns  she  waa 
firing  to  call  our  attention  to  her  ;  but  regard  to 
our  own  safety  compelled  us  to  disregard  them  till 
we  had  ourselves  got  clear  of  the  ice. 

It  was  very  dreadful  to  watch  the  stranger,  and 
tc  feel  that  we  could  render  her  no  assistance.  All 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AAD    ADVKNTt JIES.          5T 

hands  were  at  the  braces,  ready  to  trim  the  sails 
should  the  wind  head  us  ;  for,  in  that  case,  we 
should  have  to  beat  out  of  the  channel,  which  was 
every  instant  growing  narrower  and  narrower.  The 
captain  stood  at  the  weather  gangway,  conning  the 
ship.  When  he  saw  the  ice  closing  in  on  us,  he 
ordered  every  stitch  of  canvass  the  ship  could  car- 
ry to  be  set  on  her,  in  hopes  of  carrying  her  out 
before  this  should  occur.  It  was  a  chance,  whe- 
ther or  not  we  should  be  nipped.  However,  I  was 
not  so  much  occupied  with  our  own  danger  as  not 
to  keep  an  eye  on  the  stranger,  and  to  feel  deep  in- 
terest in  her  fate. 

I  was  in  the  mizen-top,  and  as  I  possessed  a  spy- 
glass, I  could  see  clearly  all  that  occurred.  The 
water  on  which  she  floated  was  nearly  smooth, 
though  covered  with  foam,  caused  by  the  masses  of 
ice  as  they  approached  each  other.  I  looked  ;  she 
had  but  a  few  fathoms  of  water  on  either  side  of 
her.  As  yet  she  floated  unharmed.  The  peril  waa 
great ;  but  the  direction  of  the  ice  might  change, 
and  she  might  yet  be  free.  Still,  on  it  came  with 
terrific  force  ;  and  I  fancied  that  I  could  hear  the 
edges  grinding  and  crushing  together. 

The  ice  closed  on  the  ill-fated  ship.  She  was 
probably  as  totally  unprepared  to  resist  its  pres- 
sure as  we  were.  At  first  I  thought  that  it  lifted 
her  bodily  up,  but  it  was  not  so,  I  suspect.  She 
was  too  deep  in  the  water  for  that.  Her  sides  were 
crushed  in — her  stout  timbers  were  rent  into  a  thou- 
sand fragments — her  tall  masts  tottered  and  fell, 
though  still  attached  to  the  hull.  For  an  instant 
I  concluded  that  the  ice  must  hare  separated,  or 
perhaps  the  edges  broke  with  the  force  of  the  con 
cussion ;  for,  as  I  gazed,  the  wrecked  mass  of  hull, 
and  spars,  and  canvass,  seemed  drawn  suddenly 
downwards  v  ith  irresistible  force,  and  a  few  frag 


58  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

ments  which  had  been  hurled  by  the  force  of  th« 
concussion  to  a  distance,  were  all  that  remained  of 
the  hapless  vessel.  Not  a  soul  of  her  crew  could 
have  had  time  to  escape  to  the  ice. 

I  looked  anxiously  ;  not  a  speck  could  be  seen 
stirring  near  the  spot.  Such,  thought  I,  may  be 
the  fate  of  the  four  hundred  and  forty  human 
beings  on  board  this  ship,  ere  many  minutes  are 
over. 

I  believe  that  I  was  the  only  person  on  board 
who  witnessed  the  catastrophe.  Most  of  the  emi- 
grants were  below,  and  the  few  who  were  on  deck 
were  with  the  crew  watching  our  own  progress. 

Still  narrower  grew  the  passage.  Some  of  the 
parts  we  had  passed  through  were  already  closed. 
Ihe  wind,  fortunately,  held  fair,  and  though  it  con- 
tributed to  drive  the  ice  faster  in  on  us,  it  yet  fa- 
vored our  escape.  The  ship  flew  through  the  water 
at  a  great  rate,  heeling  over  to  her  ports,  but 
though  at  times  it  seemed  as  if  the  masts  would 
go  over  the  sides,  still  the  captain  held  on.  A 
minute's  delay  might  prove  our  destruction. 

Every  one  held  their  breaths,  as  the  width  of  the 
passage  decreased,  though  we  had  but  a  short  dis- 
tance more  to  make  good  before  we  should  be  free. 

I  must  confess  that  all  the  time  I  did  not  myself 
feel  any  sense  of  fear.  I  thought  it  was  a  danger 
more  to  be  apprehended  for  others  than  for  myself. 
At  length  a  shout  from  the  deck  reached  my  ears, 
and  looking  round,  I  saw  that  we  were  on  the  out- 
Bide  of  the  floe.  We  were  just  in  time,  for,  the  in- 
Btant  after,  the  ice  met,  and  the  passage  through 
which  we  had  come,  was  completely  closed  up.  The 
order  was  now  given,  to  keep  the  helm  up.  and  to 
square  away  the  yards,  and  with  a  flowing  sheet 
we  ran  down  the  edge  of  the  ice  for  upwards  of 
three  miles  before  we  were  clear  of  it. 


Hl&    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          59 

Only  then  did  people,  begin  to  inquire  what  had 
tecome  of  the  ship  we  had  lately  seen.  I  gave  my 
account,  but  few  expressed  any  great  commiseration 
for  the  fate  of  those  who  were  lost.  Our  captain 
had  had  enough  of  ice,  so  he  steered  a  course  to 
get  as  fast  as  possible  into  more  southern  latitudes, 
'.this,  I  may  consider,  the  first  adventure  I  met 
with  in  my  nautical  career. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

I  claim  my  Rights,  but  do  not  get  them  acknowledged. — Am 
treated  as  a  Mutineer. — A  Friend  in  Need. — I  discover  that 
there  are  other  things  to  be  guarded  against  besides  Rocks, 
and  Shoals,  and  Icebergs. — A  Ship  on  fire. 

I  WAS  every  day  improving  my  knowledge  of 
seamanship,  though  my  schooling  was,  it  may  be 
supposed,  of  the  roughest  kind. 

The  feelings  Captain  Elihu  Swales  exhibited 
towards  me  did  not  grow  more  tender  ;  but  hith- 
erto I  had  kept  my  temper,  and  had  flown  to  obey 
his  orders  without  answering  his  abuse.  At  last, 
however,  one  day  when  the  ship  was  caught  in  a 
heavy  squall,  we  were  somewhat  slow  in  reefing  the 
mizen  topsail,  and  as  we  descended  on  deck,  he  laid 
a  rope's  end  across  the  shoulders  of  several  of  us. 
I  could  not  stand  this ;  for  I  and  another  of  the 
topmen,  generally  the  smartest,  had  hurt  our  hands, 
and  ought  not  properly  to  have  gone  aloft  at  all. 
"How  dare  you  strike  me,  Captain  Swales?"  I  ex- 
claimed, "  I  paid  you  a  sum  for  my  passage,  as  also 
to  learn  seamanship,  and  not  to  be  treated  as  a 
slave." 

It  was  the  first  time  I  had  replied  to  him.  Per- 
haps speaking  increased  the  anger  I  felt,  perhaps 


tiO  PETER    THE    WHALER. 

it  was  that  I  saw  his  eye  quail  before  mine  ;  but  be 
that  as  it  may,  a  handspike  lay  near,  and  almost 
unconsciously  I  grasped  it,  and  made  as  if  I  would 
strike  him  in  return. 

"  A  mutiny,"  he  exclaimed,  with  an  oath. 

"  A  mutiny ! — knock  down  the  rascally  muti- 
neer." 

"  A  mutiny  !"  repeated  Mr.  Stovin,  the  first 
mate,  and  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  dealt 
me  a  blow  on  the  head  with  his  fist  which  sent  me 
sprawling  on  the  deck. 

Several  of  the  crew,  as  well  as  the  emigrants, 
who  had  seen  what  had  occurred,  cried  out,  "  Shame, 
shainu  !"  but  they  were  afraid  of  interfering,  so  that 
my  enemies  had  it  all  their  own  way. 

I  was  forthwith  dragged  forward  by  Stovin  and 
two  or  three  of  the  men,  who  made  up  to  him,  and 
lashed  down  to  the  foot  of  the  bowsprit,  where  I 
was  most  exposed  to  the  spray,  which  flew  over  the 
ship,  and  could  be  watched  from  every  part.  "  You'll 
cool  your  temper  and  your  heels  there,  my  lad.  till 
I  let  you  go,"  whispered  my  old  enemy,  in  a  tone 
of  voice  which  showed  the  vindictive  triumph  he  felt. 

For  the  whole  of  that  day  I  was  kept  there, 
watched  by  one  of  the  mate's  creatures,  so  that  no 
one  with  friendly  feelings  could  come  near  me. 
Some  mouldy  biscuits,  and  a  piece  of  hard  junk, 
were  brought  to  me  long  after  the  dinner  hour,  and 
when  I  was  almost  too  sick  with  hunger  to  eat 
When  night  drew  on,  I  asked  my  guard  if  I  was  to 
be  released.  "  Maybe  not  till  the  end  of  the  voy- 
age," was  the  satisfactory  answer ;  "  they  hang? 
mutineers." 

Though  I  did  not  for  a  moment  suppose  such 
would  be  my  fate,  I  yet  bitterly  repented  having, 
by  giving  way  to  my  temper,  allowed  my  enemies 
to  get  an  advantage  over  HJ«  The  wind  feU,  and 


HIS    EARLY    LIFR    AND    ADVENTURES.          61 

there  was  less  sea ;  but  still  the  night  was  a  very 
dreary  one  to  me,  and  besides  other  physical  dis- 
comforts, I  was  half-starved.  There  has  been  3  >'• 
dom,  however,  a  time  when  some  ray  of  comfort  has 
not  shone  from  above,  or  some  human  sympathy 
has  not  been  shown  for  my  sufferings.  It  had  just 
gone  two  bells  in  the  first  watch,  when  I  saw  a 
figure  creeping  cautiously  upon  the  forecastle  to 
where  I  was  sitting.  "  Hush,"  he  whispered  ;  and 
I  knew  by  the  voice  it  was  Silas  Flint.  "  You've 
friends  who'll  help  you  when  the  time  comes.  I've 
been  watching  an  opportunity  to  bring  you  some- 
thing more  fit  to  eat  than  the  horse-flesh  and  beans 
I  hear  you've  had.  Eat  it  while  you  can."  Saying 
this,  he  put  into  my  hand  some  potted  meat  and  fine 
biscuits,  Avhich  I  found  very  refreshing.  I  must  ob- 
serve, that  my  hands  were  only  so  far  at  liberty 
that  I  could  get  them  to  my  mouth,  but  I  could  not 
move  them  to  cast  off  my  lashings. 

The  brutality  to  which  I  was  subject  is  only  a 
specimen  of  what  seamen  are  exposed  to  from  igno- 
rant and  rude  ship-masters.  In  my  time,  I  have 
seen  much  of  such  conduct;  and  though  I  have 
known  many  excellent  and  superior  men  command- 
ing merchantmen,  I  have  met  as  many  totally  unfit 
for  the  post.  This  state  of  things  will  continue  till 
higher  qualifications  are  required  from  them — till 
they  are  better  educated — till  their  social  position 
is  raised ;  also  till  the  condition  of  the  seamen 
under  them  is  improved,  and  till  both  parties  may 
feel  that  their  interests  are  cared  for  and  protected. 
I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  I  thought  thus  at  the 
time.  I  felt  only  very  angry,  and  a  strong  desire 
to  be  in  my  berth. 

After  I  had  eaten  the  food  I  became  very  drowsy, 
and  should  have  gone  to  sleep,  had  I  not  continually 
been  roused  up  by  the  showers  of  spray  which  came 


02  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

flying  over  me,  as  the  ship,  close  hauled,  ploughed 
her  way  through  the  waves.  The  nights  were  long 
in  reality,  and  I  thought  daylight  would  never 
come.  It  was  just  at  the  end  of  the  middle  watch, 
and,  in  spite  of  the  wet  and  my  uncomfortable  posi- 
tion, I  had  dropped  off  asleep,  when  I  was  aroused 
by  loud  shrieks  and  crie?,  and  a  rush  of  people  on 
deck.  The  awful  words,  "  Fire  !  fire  !  fire  !"  re- 
sounded  through  the  ship.  Several  in  the  first 
paroxysm  of  alarm  leaped  overboard ;  and,  no  one 
regarding  them  or  attempting  to  rescue  them,  they 
were  drowned.  I  was  a  witness  of  their  fate,  but 
could  make  no  one  attend  to  me.  The  watch  below 
and  the  officers  were  instantly  on  deck ;  but  for 
some  time  nothing  was  done,  and  the  ship  continued 
her  course  in  darkness  over  the  deep. 

"  Silence,  fore  and  aft,"  shouted  the  captain  who 
believed  that  it  was  a  false  alarm.  "Those  who 
spread  this  report  deserve  to  be  hove  overboard. 
I'll  take  care  to  make  inquiries  about  it — in  the 
morning.  What  frightens  you  all  so  1" 

"  Fire  !  fire  !  fire  !"  was  the  answer  of  others 
rushing  up  from  below. 

For  some  minutes  the  shrieks  and  cries  and  con- 
fusion prevented  me  from  hearing  anything  more  , 
nor  could  the  exertions  of  the  officers  serve  to 
maintain  order.  At  last  the  captain,  who  had  been 
incredulous  or  pretended  to  be  so,  became  convinced 
that  there  was  some  cause  for  the  alarm,  and  on 
going  round  the  lower  deck  a  strong  smell  of  fire 
was  perceived,  and  smoke  was  found  to  be  issuing 
from  the  fore-hatchway  over  the  hold.  No  flamea 
were  seen,  so  it  was  evident  that  the  fire  was 
among  the  cargo  in  the  lower  hold.  The  hatchway 
was  accordingly  opened,  and  immediately  dense 
volumes  of  smoke  arose,  and  almost  stifled  me^ 
where  I  remained  lashed. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTl/RES.          08 

When  it  was  discovered  that  the  fire  was  forward, 
the  ship  was  hove  to,  thus,  under  the  idea  that  aa 
fire  works  to  windward,  to  prevent  its  being  driven 
so  rapidly  aft,  as  it  would  otherwise  have  been. 
Buckets  were  now  cried  for ;  and  the  crew  and  all 
the  emigrants  whose  fears  had  not  mastered  their 
senses,  were  engaged  in  filling  them  Avith  water 
and  in  heaving  it  down  below.  A  pump  was  also 
rigged  and  manned  which,  with  a  hose  attached  to 
it,  played  down  the  hatchway. 

After  some  time  this  appeared  to  have  eifect ; 
and  Mr.  Bell  who,  quiet  as  he  generally  seemed, 
was  now  the  soul  of  everything,  volunteered  to  go 
down  in  order  to  discover  the  exact  position  of  the 
5re.  Securing  a  rope  round  his  body,  while  some 
>f  the  crew,  on  whom  he  could  depend,  held  on,  he 
boldly  threw  himself  into  the  midst  of  the  smoke. 
Not  a  quarter  of  a  minute  had  passed  before  he 
sung  out  to  be  hauled  up  again.  When  he  reap- 
peared he  Avas  insensible,  and  it  was  some  time 
before  he  recovered.  They  brought  him  up  to  the 
forecastle  close  to  me,  and  the  first  words  I  heard, 
which  he  uttered,  were  :  "  She's  all  on  fire  below, 
and  I  doubt,  if  water  will  put  it  out." 

This  was  very  dreadful;  and  I  began  to  consider 
whether  I  was  fated  to  be  roasted  and  then  drowned, 
when  I  saw  my  friend  Silas  Flint  creeping  cautiously 
up  to  me.  "  Hillo,  Peter,  my  lad,  you  seem  to  take 
it  coolly  enough ;  but  you  shan't,  if  I  can  help  it, 
be  roasted  like  a  lark  on  a  spit,  so  I've  come  to  give 
you  a  chance  for  your  life.  I  did  not  come  before, 
not  because  I  had  forgotten  you ;  but  because  I 
knew,  that  wicked  captain  of  ours  was  watching 
me,  and  would  have  prevented  me  from  setting  yoq 
at  liberty  if  he  could  ;  however,  he's  enough  else,  I 
guess,  to  think  of  just  now.'' 

"  Thank  you,  Flint — thank  you,  for  your  kind 


64  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

ness,"  I  answered,  as  he  was  cutting  the  lanyards 
which  confined  me.  "  Do  you  think  there  is  any 
danger,  though?" 

"  The  ship  may  burn  till  she's  too  hot  to  hold 
us,"  he  replied,  laconically ;  "  and  then  it  is  not 
easy  to  say  where  five  hundred  people  are  to  find 
standing-room.  There  is  danger,  Peter ;  but  a 
stout  heart  may  face,  and  overcome  it." 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Get  into  a  boat  if  I  can  ;  or  else  build  a  raft, 
and  float  on  that.  I'll  not  go  down,  as  long  as  I 
can  find  something  to  keep  me  up." 

Flint's  calmness  gave  me  courage ;  and  after 
that,  notwithstanding  the  dreadful  scenes  I  wit- 
nessed, I  did  not  feel  any  fear.  As  soon  as  I  was 
at  liberty,  I  set  to  work  with  Flint  to  make  myself 
useful ;  and  though  I  was  close  to  Captain  Swales 
while  we  were  working  the  pump,  he  did  not  observe 
me.  An  event  of  the  sort  I  am  describing  shows 
people  in  their  true  colors.  While  some  of  the  pas- 
sengers threw  off  their  jackets,  and  set  to  with  a 
will,  several  had  cast  themselves  on  the  deck, 
weeping  and  groaning  among  the  women  5  and 
Flint,  and  one  of  the  mates,  had  actually  to  go  and 
kick  them  up  before  they  would  attempt  to  per- 
form their  duty. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  horrors  of  that 
mght,  or,  rather,  morning,  before  the  day  broke — 
the  ship  rolling  and  pitching  on  before  a  heavy 
sea,  whither  she  went  no  one  considered,  provided 
she  kept  before  the  wind — the  suffocating  smoke 
which  rose  from  the  depths  of  the  hold — the  cries 
of  despair  heard  on  every  side — the  scenes  of  coward- 
ly fear  and  intense  selfishness  which  were  exhibited. 
Still  we  floated;  but  I  expected  every  instant  tc 
gee  the  ship  plunge  head-foremost  down  m  the 
depths  of  the  ocean ;  for  I  thought  the  fire  must 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          05 

soon  burn  a  hole  through  her  planks.  I  was  not 
aware  how  long  fire  takes  to  burn  downwards.  One 
of  the  greatest  cowards  of  the  crew,  and  a  big  bully 
he  was,  happened  to  be  at  the  helm  when  the  fire 
was  first  reported ;  and  as  soon  as  the  captain  and 
mates  went  forward  to  attend  to  rigging  the  pumps, 
his  fears  overcame  him,  and  he  dastardly  deserted 
his  post. 

Fortunately,  one  of  the  crew  was  aft,  and  went 
to  the  helm  and  kept  it  up,  or  the  ship  would  have 
broached  to,  and,  before  she  could  have  been  put  on 
her  course,  the  sea  would  have  swept  over  our  decks, 
and  the  destruction  of  all  would  have  been  expedited. 
At  the  same  time,  a  number  of  the  passengers  made 
a  rush  at  the  larboard-quarter  boat,  and,  while 
some  got  into  her,  others  lowered  her  down,  intend- 
ing to  follow.  Going  fast,  as  the  ship  was,  through 
the  water,  of  course,  she  was  immediately  swamped, 
and  every  soul  in  her  perished.  Three  or  four  of 
those  who  were  about  to  follow,  so  great  was  their 
eagerness,  before  they  understood  what  had  occurred, 
leaped  where  they  expected  to  find  her,  and  met  the 
fate  of  the  rest. 

This  was  reported  to  the  captain,  who  at  once 
set  a  guard  over  the  other  boats.  Indeed,  as  yet, 
there  was  no  necessity  for  any  one  to  quit  the  ship. 
The  boatswain,  however,  who  had  charge  of  the 
boats,  followed  by  the  fellow  who  had  quitted  the 
wheel,  the  cook,  and  one  or  two  others,  soon  after- 
wards collecting  some  provisions,  sails,  compasses, 
tools,  and  other  things  they  thought  necessary, 
deliberately  lowered  her,  and,  getting  into  her, 
veered  her  astern,  where  they  remained,  careless 
of  what  became  of  the  rest  of  us.  Such  was  the 
Btate  of  things  when  the  sun  shone  forth  on  the 
ocean  world. 

The  decks,  covered  with  women  and  children  am* 
6 


6()  PKTER    THE    WHALER, 

even  many  men  lying  prostrate,  looked  as  if  just 
swept  by  the  shots  of  an  enemy.  Such  countenances 
too  of  terror,  agony,  and  despair,  as  were  exhibited, 
it  is  difficult  to  describe.  Many  had  fainted,  and 
some  had  actually  died  through  fear,  and  lay  quiet 
enough.  Others  rushed  about  the  decks  like  mad- 
men, impeding  the  exertions  of  the  officers  and 
crew,  and  crying  out  that  the  ship  should  be  steered 
to  the  nearest  land,  and  insisting  on  being  set  on 
shore  immediately.  Had  the  captain  been  a  man 
of  firmness  and  moral  courage,  to  whom  his  officers 
and  crew  had  been  accustomed  to  look  up.  much  of 
the  disorder  would  have  been  prevented,  and  per- 
haps the  lives  of  all  might  have  been  saved ;  but 
they  knew  him  to  be  a  bully  and  a  coward,  and  the 
first  impulse  of  each  was  to  think  of  his  own  indi- 
vidual safety,  as  they  knew  he  would  do  of  his. 
Thus  not  one  quarter  of  the  necessary  exertions 
were  made  to  save  the  ship  ;  indeed,  Mr.  Bell  and 
his  watch  were  the  only  part  of  the  crew  who  really 
did  any  good. 

Most  of  the  cabin  passengers,  and  some  of  the 
second  and  steerage  passengers  of  the  English  at 
once  came  forward  and  offered  their  services  to 
work  the  pumps,  and  to  hand  down  the  water- 
buckets.  The  poorer  Irish,  on  the  other  hand, 
would  do  nothing  to  help  themselves ;  but  sat 
shrieking  and  bewailing  their  cruel  fate  till  they 
eould  shriek  and  cry  no  longer. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.         61 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Coiisequences  of  the  Want  of  Discipline. — Our  Captain  des'-rti 
us. — Rafts  are  built,  and  many  trust  themselves  on  them.- 
Courage  and  Coolness  of  our  second  Mate. 

IT  is  my  belief  that,  if  proper  measures  had  been 
taken  the  moment  the  fire  was  discovered,  it  might 
have  been  extinguished,  and  if  not,  its  progress  might 
have  been  retarded.  The  ship  had  a  large  quanti- 
ty of  coals  among  her  cargo,  and  there  is  no  doubt, 
it  originated  in  it  by  spontaneous  combustion. 
Some  said  it  had  been  smouldering  away  ever  since 
we  left  Liverpool.  What  would  have  been  our  sen- 
sations had  we  known  that  we  had  a  volcano  on 
board?  When  some  of  the  passengers  saw  that 
the  object  of  our  exertions  was  to  fill  the  hold  with 
water,  they  began  to  cry  out  that  the  quickest  way 
would  be  to  start  the  water-tanks  on  deck.  The 
captain,  on  hearing  this,  immediately  exclaimed, 
that  if  they  did  so,  they  would  repent  it,  for  with- 
out water  they  could  not  live,  and  that  this  was 
the  only  fresh  water  at  which  they  would  shortly 
be  able  to  get.  On  learning  their  mad  design  he 
should  instantly  have  placed  some  of  the  crew, 
on  whom  he  could  depend,  with  arms  in  their  hands 
to  guard  the  tanks,  and  with  orders  to  cut  down 
any  one  who  should  attempt  to  touch  the  bungs. 
Instead,  he  contented  himself  with  pointing  out  the 
folly  of  the  proceeding. 

His  words  were  not  heeded  ;  and  without  any  at- 
tempt to  prevent  them,  several  of  the  madmen 
started  the  water  from  the  tanks.  "Hurrah  !"  they 
shouted  as  they  performed  this  feat.  '•  The  fire 


68  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

will  now  be  put  out  and  we  shall  be  saved.  Tne 
hidden  fire  laughed  at  their  puny  efforts,  and  the 
wreaths  of  smoke  came  forth  as  dense  as  ever. 

A  consultation  among  the  officers  was  now  held  ; 
and  it  was  their  opinion,  that  we  were  in  as  good 
a  position  as  could  be  for  being  fallen  in  with  by 
ships  crossing  the  Atlantic ;  and  that,  therefore, 
we  should  continue  as  we  were,  hove  to.  We  all 
watched  "with  deep  anxiety  the  progressive  increase 
of  the  smouldering  furnace  below  us.  Fortunately 
the  flames  did  not  begin  to  burst  forth. 

Dreadful  as  the  day  was,  it  passed  more  rapidly 
than  I  could  have  expected.  There  was  nothing  to 
mark  the  time ;  there  were  no  regular  meals,  no 
bells  struck,  no  watches  set.  The  captain,  on  see- 
ing the  want  of  effect  produced  by  the  water  thrown 
on  the  cargo,  abandoned  all  hopes  of  saving  the  ship, 
and  thought  only  how  he  might  best  secure  his  own 
safety.  The  stern-boat  was,  as  I  have  said,  tow- 
ing astern.  I  now  saw*  him  go  aft,  and  with  the 
aid  of  some  of  the  people,  to  whom  he  had  spoken 
privately,  he  lowered  down  the  starboard  quarter 
boat  having  first  put  into  her  compasses,  provi- 
sions, and  water.  The  first  mate,  meantime,  bail- 
ed out  the  other  quarter  boat,  and  in  like  manner 
provisioned  and  stored  her.  Three  hands  being 
placed  in  each,  they  were  veered  astern.  The 
captain  and  mate  knew  that  these  men  Avould  not 
desert  them,  because  without  their  assistance  they 
would  be  unable  to  find  their  way  to  any  port. 

I  took  my  spell  at  the  pumps  ;  and,  on  several 
occasions,  the  captain  passed  me  and  gave  me  a 
scoAvl,  by  which  I  knew  that  he  recognised  me,  and 
probably  contemplated  leaving  me  behind  in  the 
burning  ship  ;  at  least,  so  I  thought  at  the  time 
and  resolved  to  frustrate  his  kind  intentions.  The 
captain  next  gave  orders  to  the  crew  to  hoist  out 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          G9 

the  long-boat,  as  the  sea  had  gone  down  sufficiently 
to  enable  this  to  be  done  without  risk.  The  long- 
boat is  stowed  on  the  booms  amidships  and  it  re- 
quires tackles  to  the  yard-arms,  and  considerable 
exertion,  to  launch  her.  It  was  the  first  time  1 
had  ever  observed  Captain  Swales  and  Mr.  Stovin 
really  energetic  in  their  exertions  when  they  were 
getting  this  done  ;  and  I  very  soon  found  that  they 
had  a  reason  for  it,  as  they  intended  to  take  pos- 
session of  her  for  themselves,  and  those  they  most 
favored.  She  at  length  was  launched  and  dropped 
astern,  and  being  hauled  up  under  the  cabin  win- 
dows, the  ladies  and  other  cabin  passengers  were 
lowered  into  her.  She  was  likewise  provisioned  ; 
and  compasses,  charts,  sails,  and  oars,  were  placed 
in  her. 

I  thought  that  the  captain,  as  a  precautionary 
measure,  wished  to  place  the  passengers  in  com- 
parative safety  ;  but  what  was  my  surprise,  to  see 
him  lower  himself  into  the  boat,  and  drop  her  astern, 
virtually  abandoning  all  command  of  the  ship.  This 
vile  example  was  followed  by  Mr.  Stovin,  who  took 
possession  of  one  of  the  quarter-boats.  The  great- 
er part  of  the  crew,  and  all  the  steerage  and  second- 
class  passengers,  still  remained  in  the  burning  ship, 
of  which  Mr.  Bell  now  took  the  command.  When 
the  people  saw  the  captain  deserting  them,  they 
rushed  aft,  some  with  piteous  cries,  exclaiming,  "  0 
captain,  dear,  save  us  !  save  us  !"  Others  cursed 
him  as  a  traitor  for  leaving  them  to  their  fate  ;  and, 
I  believe,  had  they  known  what  he  was  about  to  do, 
they  would  have  torn  him  in  pieces  before  they 
would  have  let  him  go.*  He  shouted  to  them  in 

*  I  regret  to  say  that  the  whole  account  of  ihe  burning  ship 
is  perfectly  true.  Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  tae  fire  continue! 
mouldering  for  r^arly  a  week,  before  the  flames  burst  forth. 


70  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

return,  that  he  was  not  going  to  desert  them  ;  but 
that  his  presence  was  required  in  the  hoat.  I  have 
always  held,  that  the  captain  should  be  the  last  man 
to  quit  the  deck  of  his  ship ;  and  every  true  sea 
man  thinks  the  same  and  would  scorn  to  do  other- 
wise. 

"  A  pretty  job  this  is,"  observed  Dick  Derrick 
who  was  working  away  at  the  pumps,  close  to  me 
"  We  were  nearly  squeezed  to  death  by  the  ice,  a  fei\ 
days  ago,  and  now  it  seems  we  are  to  be  roasted 
with  fire.  Are  you  prepared  for  death,  Peter  ?" 

I  replied  that  I  would  rather  live. 

"  Then  the  sooner  we  begin  to  knock  some  sort 
of  rafts  together,  to  float  a  few  of  these  poor  people, 
the  better,"  he  observed.  "  I'll  just  hint  the  same 
to  Mr.  Bell." 

I  saw  him  go  up  to  Mr.  Bell,  and  touching  his 
hat,  speak  earnestly  to  him. 

"  You  are  right,  Derrick,"  remarked  the  second 
mate,  as  he  passed  me.  "  We  must  keep  the  pas- 
sengers working  at  the  pumps  though,  to  the  last, 
while  the  crew  build  the  rafts." 

As  soon  as  the  plan  was  conceived,  all  hands  set 
to  work  to  collect  spars,  and  to  knock  away  the  fit- 
tings of  the  lower  deck,  the  bulk-heads,  and  the 
bulwarks.  We  thus  very  soon  formed  three  small 
rafts,  each  capable  of  supporting  thirty  or  forty 
people  in  calm  weather — a  very  small  portion  of 
the  poor  wretches  on  board. 

Mr.  Bell  urged  the  crew  to  continue  their  exer- 
tions, and  not  to  launch  the  rafts  till  the  last  mo- 
ment. "  We  do  not  know  where  the  rafts  may 
drive  to  ;  and  as  we  are  now  in  the  usual  track  of 
ships  bound  to  America,  our  signal  of  distress  may 
be  seen,  and  we  may  be  saved  without  more  risk," 
he  observed,  addressing  several  who  seemed  about 
to  launch  one  of  the  rafts.  His  words,  however 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          71 

had  not  much  effect ;  for,  a  few  minutes  afterwards, 
their  fears  overpowered  their  better  judgment,  and 
one  of  the  rafts  was  launched  overboard.  It  was 
with  some  difficulty  that  it  could  be  kept  alongside. 
They  fitted  it  with  a  mast  and  sail,  and  a  few  casks 
of  provisions,  but  no  water  was  to  be  found,  except 
m  a  small  keg. 

While  some  of  the  people  who  intended  to  em- 
bark on  it  were  looking  for  more,  a  fresh  puff  of 
smoke  forced  its  way  up  near  the  mainmast ;  and 
this  so  frightened  the  emigrants,  that  a  general 
rush  was  made  to  get  on  the  raft.  About  thirty 
were  already  on  it,  and  so  alarmed  were  they,  lest 
the  number  crowding  on  it  might  capsize  it,  that, 
ill-provisioned  as  they  were,  they  cut  it  adrift. 
What  became  of  them,  I  know  not,  for  the  nigut 
coming  on,  they  were  soon  lost  sight  of,  and  we 
never  saw  them  again.  That  night  was  far  more 
dreadful  than  the  first ;  for,  though  the  terror  of 
the  people  was  not  so  loud,  their  despair  was 
more  pitiable.  The  remainder  of  the  crew  still 
worked,  spell  and  spell,  at  the  pumps,  but  the  fire 
gained  upon  us.  At  length  some  of  the  steerage 
passengers  broke  into  the  cabins,  which  they  rifled 
of  everything  on  which  they  could  lay  their 
hands ;  and,  unfortunately,  discovered  several 
eases  of  brandy  and  wine. 

Now  began  the  most  horrible  orgies  imaginable. 
Men,  women,  and  even  children,  became  speedily 
intoxicated,  and  entirely  forgetful  of  their  fears 
and  awful  position.  They  were,  in  fact,  like  the 
fiercest  savages ;  and,  like  them,  danced,  and 
shouted,  and  sang,  till  some  of  them  fell  down  in 
fits  on  the  deck.  In  the  cabins  they  found  several 
muskets,  and,  taking  it  into  their  heads  that  the 
crew  had  been  the  cause  of  the  disaster,  they  set 
npon  Mr.  Bell,  and  th»?e  of  us  who  rei  .ained,  and 


T2  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

had  we  not  struggled  desperately,  would  have 
thrown  us  overboard.  They  could,  fortunately 
find  no  powder  and  shot,  or  they  would  certainly 
have  killed  some  of  the  people  in  the  boats.  We 
retreated  before  them  forward  ;  and  then,  aided  by 
Flint,  and  some  of  the  more  reputable  English, 
tvho  had  kept  sober,  we  made  a  rush  at  them,  and 
wrenched  their  arms  from  their  grasp.  So  infuri- 
ated had  they  become,  that,  while  some  of  us 
worked  at  the  pumps  and  rafts,  the  rest  had  to 
•tand  guard,  and  keep  them  at  bay.  Fortunately, 
the  wind  fell,  and  the  sea  went  down  with  the  sun, 
jr  it  would  have  been  still  worse  for  us. 

In  one  respect,  the  calm  was  bad,  as  no  ship  was 
.akely  to  come  to  our  rescue.  One  might  have 
passed  within  a  very  short  distance  of  us,  and 
•tfould  not  have  discovered  us,  as  we  had  no  guns 
on  board,  nor  any  blue-lights  or  rockets,  to  make 
(signals.  We  had  four  old  rusty  muskets,  it  is 
true  ;  but  there  was  scarcely  powder  enough  found 
to  fire  them  a  dozen  times.  For  the  best  part  of 
tne  night,  we  were  employed  in  defending  our  lives 
from  the  attacks  of  the  drunken  emigrants.  Af- 
ter being  defeated,  they  would  return  to  the  cabin 
to  search  for  more  liquor,  and,  not  finding  any. 
they  would  again  make  a  rush  upon  us,  declaring 
that  we  knew  where  it  was  hid,  and  that  they 
would  have  it.  I  must  do  the  crew  the  justice  to  say, 
that,  with  few  exceptions,  they  all  kept  sober  ;  and 
those  under  Mr.  Bell  behaved  very  well.  The 
second  mate's  conduct  was  above  all  praise ;  for 
though  repeatedly  invited  by  those  in  the  larboard- 
quarter-boat  to  come  off,  and  to  take  command  of 
her,  he  refused  to  quit  the  ship. 

At  length,  when  the  maddening  effects  of  the 
spirits  had  worn  off,  the  emigrants  sank  down  ex- 
hausted on  the  deck,  and,  had  the  fire  then  reached 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    A  D  VKNT  I  •  li  KS.          73 

where  they  lay,  they  would  have  been  burnt,  un 
conscious  of  their  fate.  We  were  now  left  to  con- 
sider what  was  next  to  be  done.  Gradually  the 
fire  continued-creeping  aft,  as  we  could  tell  by  the 
increasing  heat  of  the  lower  deck ;  and  I  can 
scarcely  describe  the  feelings  I  experienced  as, 
putting  my  hand  down  on  the  planks,  I  found  them 
growing  hotter  and  hotter.  The  hatches  over  the 
hold  were,  however,  wisely  kept  closed,  to  prevent 
the  flames  from  bursting  forth.  The  ship  was 
already  so  full  of  water,  that  it  would  have  ex- 
posed us  to  the  danger  of  drowning,  if  we  had 
pumped  more  into  her.  A  second  day  dawned  on 
the  same  scene. 

We  anxiously  scanned  the  horizon  in  the  hopes 
that  a  ship  might  appear  to  rescue  us,  but  not  a 
sail  was  in  sight  to  relieve  our  anxiety.  As  the 
people  woke  up  from  their  slumbers,  the  general 
cry  was  for  water,  but  no  water  was  to  be  pro- 
cured. They  had  uselessly  squandered  what 
might  have  preserved  them.  "  Water  !  water  !" 
was  repeated  by  parched  mouths,  which  were  fated 
never  to  taste  that  fluid  again.  Some  stood  aft, 
and  shouted  to  the  captain,  who  sat  comfortably  in 
the  boat  astern,  and  made  gestures  at  him  for  wa- 
ter. Some,  in  then  madness,  broke  open  the  sur- 
geon's dispensary,  and  rifled  it  of  its  contents, 
swallowing  the  drugs  indiscriminately.  The  ef- 
fects on  them  were  various,  according  to  the  na 
ture  of  the  drugs.  Some  overcome  with  opium, 
fell  down  speedily  in  a  state  of  stupor ;  others 
were  paralysed,  and  others  died  in  dreadful  ago- 
nies. 

Burning  thirst  drove  some  mad,  and  several 
leaped  overboard  in  their  delirium.  Many  died 
where  they  lay,  en  the  deck ;  women  and  several 
poor  children  quickly  sunk  for  want  of  water.  N< 


74  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

sooner  had  the  breath  departed  from  the  body,  than 
we  were  obliged  to  throw  them  overboard," as  the 
corpses  lay  in  our  way,  as  we  hurried  about  the 
decks.  I  forgot  to  mention  that  there  was  a  Rom- 
ish priest  on  board,  Father  Slattery  by  name. 
He  was  a  coarse,  uneducated  man,  but  the  influ- 
ence he  exercised  over  the  poor  people  was  very 
great ;  and  I  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say,  that 
in  this  instance  he  exercised  it  for  a  good  purpose, 
in  endeavoring  to  calm  the  fears  of  his  followers, 
and  in  affording  them  the  offices  of  their  religion. 
From  the  moment  the  danger  became  apparent 
he  went  among  them  confessing  them  and  absolv- 
ing them  from  their  sins,  and  giving  them  such 
other  consolation  as  he  had  to  offer ;  but  this  did 
not  seem  to  have  any  great  effect,  for  the  moment 
he  left  them,  they  began  to  howl  and  shriek  as  loud 
as  ever.  As  to  attempting  to  help  themselves, 
that  seemed  far  from  their  thoughts.  Few  of  them 
could  be  induced  to  work  at  the  pumps,  or  to  assist 
in  building  the  rafts.  Yet,  miserable  as  was  their 
condition,  the  love  of  life  appeared  stronger  in 
them  than  in  the  English. 

When  the  captain  dropped  astern  in  the  long- 
boat, there  was  a  general  rush  to  follow  him ;  and 
I  remember  seeing  two  girls  lower  themselves 
down  by  ropes  over  the  taffrail,  where  they  hung, 
their  feet  in  the  water,  entreating  to  be  taken  in. 
"  Oh  captain,  dear,  sure  you  won't  let  us  be  drowned 
now !"  they  exclaimed  in  piteous  accents.  For 
some  time  those  in  the  long-boat  were  deaf  to  their 
entreaties,  and  I  thought  the  girls  would  have  lost 
their  hold,  and  have  been  drowned  ;  for  they  had 
no  strength  left  to  haul  themselves  on  board  ai_rair. 
Feeling  that  their  destruction  was  inevitable,  if 
they  were  not  rescued,  I  slipped  a  running  bow- 
line knot  over  the  rope  to  which  one  of  them  waf 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          75 

hanging,  and  gliding  down,  I  passed  it  over  her 
shoulders.  I  was  up  on  deck  again  in  a  moment, 
and  hauled  her  up,  though  I  must  own,  she  did  not 
like  my  interference.  The  other  girl  let  go  her 
hold,  and  would  have  heen  drowned,  had  she  not 
been  caught  as  she  floated  past  the  boat,  when  she 
was  taken  in. 

But  I  could  scarcely  have  believed  that  human 
nature  could  become  so  depraved,  as  an  instance  I 
witnessed  with  my  own  eyes  convinced  me  it 
might  be.  I  saw  two  Irishmen,  who  had  their 
wives  and  families  on  board,  slip  over  the  ship's 
side,  and  drop  down  towards  the  boat,  with  ropes 
in  their  hands.  Little  as  they  deserved  it,  they 
were  not  prevented  from  climbing  on  board ;  and 
there  they  remained,  in  spite  of  the  bitter  cries 
of  those  they  had  so  basely  deserted. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

I  obtain  a  Proof  that  the  Gentle  and  Humane  are  generally  brave 
in  the  Hour  of  Danger. — A  true  Sailor  will  not  dosert  hia 
Ship  till  the  last. — Silas  tempts  me  to  go  away  on  the  Raft. 
Aid  comes  when  Hope  has  almost  departed.— A  few  are  saved, 
but  a  bitter  Disappointment  awaits  the  rest. — A  storm  comes 
on,  and  we  lose  sight  of  the  Mary's  light. 

THE  unhappy  people  were  more  quiet  the  second 
day  than  during  the  first ;  for  they  were  worn  out 
with  fatigue,  terror,  and  hunger.  Our  ensign,  re- 
versed, was  flying  as  a  signal  of  distress,  but  to  lit- 
tle purpose  ;  for  there  was  no  one  who  could  see  it  to 
help  us.  Two  more  rafts  were  constructed  ;  and  the 
carpenters  set  to  work  to  raise  the  gunwales  of  the 
boats,  and  they  also  nailed  canvas  round  their  side? 
BO  as  to  be  able  to  cover  them  completely  in. 


TG  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

Those  in  the  boats  appeared  very  uncomfortable 
and,  certainly,  they  were  much  worse  off  than  we 
\>  •  re,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  uncertainty  when 
thu  fire  might  break  forth  from  beneath  our  feot. 
Every  instant  I  expected  that  to  take  place ;  and 
I  certainly  felt  it  difficult  to  say  by  what  means  I 
should  make  my  escape. 

A  few  jars  of  fresh  water  were  found  in  tlm 
cabin ;  and,  among  other  provisions,  a  cask  of  flour, 
with  which  the  cook  instantly  set  to  work  to  make 
bread,  and  the  whole  of  the  day  he  was  engaged  in 
making  and  in  baking  it  in  the  caboose.  This 
very  seasonable  supply  of  wholesome  food  kept 
many  on  board  from  dying. 

Mr.  Bell  took  off,  in  the  dingy,  a  fair  proportion 
to  the  boats.  The  people  in  them  begged  him  to 
remain,  telling  him  that  the  ship  might  suddenly 
go  down,  and  that  he  would  be  lost ;  but  he  replied, 
that  he  would  not  desert  her  and  the  people  ;  and 
he  instantly  returned. 

The  day  passed  away  without  a  sail  appearing 
in  sight  5  and  darkness,  with  its  attendant  horrors, 
again  drew  on.  Dreadful,  indeed,  was  that  night ; 
but  it  was  very  different  to  the  last.  There  was. 
then,  excitement  and  activity.  Now,  there  was  a 
calmness — at  times,  almost  a  total  silence ;  but  it 
would  speedily  be  broken  by  the  groans  of  the 
dying,  and  the  wails  of  those  who  mourned  for  them. 

All  attempts  to  stop  the  progress  of  the  fire 
were  abandoned  as  useless.  The  officers  and  crew, 
who  remained  faithful  to  their  trust,  took  such  rest, 
watch  and  watch,  as  the  state  of  the  case  would 
allow ;  but  we  were  wet  through,  and  our  bed  was 
the  hard  deck. 

Somewhere  towards  the  morning,  as  I  was  still 
asleep,  I  felt  my  shoulder  touched,  and  the  voice 
of  Flint  whispered  in  my  ear,  "  Peter,  my  lad, 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    AL  TENT U RES.          77 

tvase  up,  and  come  with  us.  This  ship  won't  much 
longer  give  us  any  footing;  and  it's  as  well  to  leave 
her  when  we  can." 

•'What  do  you  mean,  Flint?"  I  asked,  in  the 
sam<5  low  tone.  "  You  would  not  have  me  quit  my 
shipmates  '?" 

"  What  i  mean  is,  that  some  thirty  of  us,  some  of 
the  crew  and  some  emigrants,  have  resolved  to  trust 
ourselves  to  a  raft,  rather  than  to  these  burning 
planks  ;  and  that,  if  we  wait  till  daylight,  so  many 
will  be  attempting  to  get  on  it,  that  we  shall  all  be 
lost  together.  1  don't  ask  you  to  desert  your  ship- 
mates, Peter ;  but  self-preservation,  you  know,  is 
the  first  law  of  nature." 

I  considered  a  moment,  before  I  spoke.  "  I  am 
grateful  to  you,  Flint,  for  your  kindness  ;  but  1 
cannot  desert  Mr.  Bell,"  I  replied.  "  I  don't  blame 
you,  remember,  for  going ;  but  I  am  differently 
situated.  I  am  in  the  second  mate's  watch — under 
his  command,  as  it  were — and,  while  he  sticks  to 
the  ship,  so  must  I." 

While  I  was  speaking,  I  saw  a  party  of  people 
cautiously  engaged  in  launching  the  raft.  After  no 
slight  exertions,  they  succeeded  in  getting  it  into 
the  water,  though  the  noise  they  made  disturbed  a 
number  of  the  emigrants. 

"  I  understand  your  motive,  my  lad,  and  1  sup 
pose  you  are  right,"  replied  Flint.  "  I  wish  you 
could  come  with  us ;  and  I  am  half-inclined  to  stay 
by  you — that  I  am." 

"  I  should  be  very  unhappy  if  you  were  the  sufferer, 
in  consequence  of  so  doing,"  I  answered  ;  "  so  pray 
go,  if  you  think  the  raft  affords  the  greatest  safety." 

"  No,  lad,  I  care  little  for  my  own  safety ;  but  I 
promised  these  people  to  go  with  them,  and  to  act 
&s  their  captain.  I  did  so,  thinking  you  would  be 
certain  to  go  too." 


78  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

I  again  assured  him  that  nothing  would  nduce 
me  to  desert  Mr.  Bell.  So.  expressing  his  sorrow, 
he  shook  ine  warmly  by  the  hand,  and  slid  down 
the  side  of  the  ship  on  to  the  raft.  I  assisted  in 
casting  it  off,  before  the  rest  of  the  emigrants,  who 
were  awake,  discovered  what  they  were  about,  or  else 
they  would  senselessly,  as  before,  have  attempted 
to  get  on  it,  to  the  almost  certain  destruction  of 
them  all.  Flint,  and  his  companions,  hurriedly 
shoved  off,  and  then  hoisted  their  sail.  I  watched 
the  raft  as  long  as  it  could  be  seen,  standing  di- 
rectly before  the  wind  to  the  northward ;  and  I 
remember,  at  the  time,  my  heart  misgave  me,  and 
I  feared  that  I  should  never  again  see  my  kind, 
but  eccentric  friend.  If  a  sea  should  get  up,  I 
thought  they,  in  all  probability,  would  be  drowned. 
I  felt  very  grateful,  also,  that  I  had  decided  to  re- 
main. However,  I  was  too  weary  to  think  much 
about  any  subject,  and  I  was  very  shortly  again 
fast  asleep  on  the  deck. 

As  suffering  and  misery  will,  after  a  time,  come 
to  an  end,  and  it  would  be  well  if  we  could  always 
remember  this  when  we  ourselves  are  in  that  con- 
dition, so  did  this  night  of  dark  horror,  and  another 
morning  dawned  on  the  burning  wreck.  Clouds, 
streaked  with  bright  red  edges,  were  gathering  in 
the  eastern  horizon,  as  I  went  aloft,  to  look  out  for 
a  sail,  though  with  little  expectation  of  seeing  one. 
I  had  just  reached  the  maintop-gallant-mast  head, 
and  was  sweeping  my  eyes  round  the  horizon,  when 
I  saw,  just  under  the  brightest  part  of  the  glow 
caused  by  the  rising  sun,  a  dark  spot,  which  I 
thought  must  be  the  topsail  of  some  square-rigged 
craft.  I  looked  again ;  I  felt  that  I  could  not  be 
mistaken.  I  shouted  out  the  joyful  intelligence — 
u  Sail,  ho  ! — ho  ! — over  the  larboard  quarter." 

Instantly  the  second  mate,  followed  by  several 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          .'9 

others,  who  had  strength  remaining,  ran  aloft,  to 
ascertain  the  fact.  They,  also,  all  clearly  saw  the 
ship.  The  people  in  the  boats  understood  what  we 
were  pointing  at,  and  a  feeble  shout,  indicative  of 
their  joy,  rose  from  all  hands.  The  question  now 
was,  which  way  she  was  steering.  If  to  the  west- 
ward, we  had  a  good  chance  of  being  seen  by  her ; 
but,  if  not,  she  might  pass  us  by  unheeded.  This 
uncertainty  was,  perhaps,  still  more  painful  tc 
endure  than  our  previous  hopelessness. 

While  we  were  watching  the  stranger,  the  clouda 
gathered  thicker  in  the  sky,  and  the  sea  began 
perceptibly  to  get  up,  though,  as  yet,  there  was  no 
increase  of  wind.  "  I  don't,  altogether,  like  the 
look  of  things,"  observed  Derrick  to  me.  "  The 
sea  getting  up  before  the  wind  comes  is  a  pretty 
sure  sign  of  a  heavy  gale ;  and  if  it  does  come  on 
to  blow,  Lord  help  us,  my  boy." 

"  Amen,"  said  a  deep  voice  near  us,  which  startled 
me.  It  seemed  not  like  that  of  a  mortal ;  it  was, 
however,  that  of  Father  Slattery,  who  was  at  that 
instant  passing  us.  "  And  so,  my  son,  you  think 
there  is  more  danger  than  before  ?"  he  asked. 

"  If  it  comes  on  to  blow,  and  keeps  blowing  with 
a  heavy  sea,  I  say,  it  will  be  no  easy  matter  to  carry 
women  and  children  from  one  ship  to  another,  even 
if  that  sail  yonder  should  come  any  way  nigh  us  ; 
that's  what  I  say,  your  honor,"  answered  Derrick. 

"  I  understand  you,  my  son,"  said  the  priest ; 
"  we'll  be  in  a  worse  position  with  regard  to  affairs 
temporal  than  we  are  at  present." 

"Yes,  your  honor,  it  looks  brewing  up  for  a 
regular  tempest,  as  you  say,  and  no  mistake,"  ob- 
served Derrick. 

Even  while  they  were  talking  we  heard  the  wind 
whistle  in  the  rigging,  and  the  ship  began  to  surge 
neavily  through  the  rising  waves. 


80  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

The  people  in  the  boats  at  this  were  evidently 
alarmed,  and  one  of  the  gigs  hauled  alongside, 
several  persons  in  her  preferring  to  trust  them- 
selves to  the  burning  ship  rather  than  to  her.  I 
must  remark  that  a  feeling  almost  of  security  had 
come  over  many  of  us,  and  that  for  my  part  I  could  not 
help  fancying  that  it  was  nothing  unusual  to  live  on 
board  a  ship  full  of  fire.  Of  course,  I  knew  that 
some  time  or  other  the  flames  must  burst  forth ; 
but  I  looked  upon  this  event  as  likely  to  happen 
only  in  some  remote  period  with  which  I  had  little 
to  do.  Our  sufferings  were  greatest  from  want  of 
water,  and  on  that  account  we  were  most  anxious 
for  the  coming  of  the  stranger.  Mr.  Bell,  Derrick, 
and  I,  were  again  aloft  looking  out  for  the  ship. 
The  captain  hauled  up  under  the  stern,  and  hailed 
to  know  which  way  we  made  her  out  to  be  still 
standing.  "  Right  down  for  us,  sir,"  answered  the 
mate.  "  She's  a  barque,  and  seems  to  be  coming  up 
with  a  strong  breeze." 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  how  anxiously  we 
watched  for  her.  On  she  came  for  perhaps  half  an 
hour,  though  to  us  it  seemed  much  longer,  when 
suddenly  we  saw  her,  to  our  dismay,  haul  her  wind 
and  stand  away  to  the  north-east.  I  felt  almost 
as  if  I  should  fall  from  aloft,  as  our  hopes  of  being 
rescued  were  thus  cruelly  blasted.  Few  of  the  em- 
igrants understood  the  change,  but  the  seamen  did, 
and  gave  way  to  their  feelings  in  abuse  of  the 
stranger,  who  could  not  probably  have  seen  our 
signal  of  distress.  "With  heavy  hearts  we  de- 
scended to  the  smoking  deck. 

The  wretched  emigrants,  on  discovering  the 
state  of  the  case,  gave  fresh  vent  to  their  despair , 
some,  who  had  hitherto  held  up  more  manfully  tha> 
the  rest,  lay  down  without  hope,  and  others  actu 
ally  yielded  up  their  spirits  to  the  hands  of  de^th 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          81 

Meantime  the  sea  increased,  clouds  covered  the 
sky,  and  it  came  on  to  blow  harder  and  harder.  I 
had  returned  aloft,  when,  to  my  delight,  I  saw  the 
stranger  again  bear  away  and  stand  for  us.  I 
shouted  out  the  joyful  information,  and  once  more 
the  drooping  spirits  of  my  companions  in  misfor- 
tune were  aroused.  The  sound  of  a  gun  was  heard 
booming  along  the  waters.  It  was  a  sign  from  her 
that  she  saw  our  signal  of  distress.  Now  she 
crowded  all  the  sail  she  could  venture  to  carry  in  the 
increasing  breeze.  Her  captain  was  evidently  a 
humane  man  anxious  to  relieve  his  fellow-creatures, 
though  he  could  scarcely  have  guessed  at  our 
frightful  condition.  There  was  no  mistake  now  ;  on 
she  came  and  proved  to  be  a  large  barque,  as  Mr. 
Bell  had  supposed. 

"  We  have  a  good  chance  of  escaping  a  roasting 
this  time,"  I  observed  to  Derrick,  as  we  watched 
the  stranger. 

"  But  not  quite  of  drowning,  lad,"  he  answered. 
"  Before  one  quarter  of  the  people  about  us  can  be 
placed  on  her  deck,  the  gale  will  be  upon  us,  and 
then,  as  I  said  before,  how  are  we  the  better  for 
her  being  near  us  ?  Howsomdever,  we'll  do  our 
best,  lad  ;  and  if  the  old  ship  goes  down,  mind  you 
look  out  for  a  plank  to  stick  to,  and  don't  let  any 
one  gripe  hold  of  your  legs." 

I  promised  to  do  my  best ;  but  I  confess  I  did 
not  like  the  prospect  he  held  out. 

The  barque  approached  and  hove  to.  A  shout 
of  joy  escaped  from  the  lips  of  most  of  those  on 
board,  who  had  still  strength  to  utter  it.  On  this 
immediately  Captain  Swales  cast  off  his  boat,  his 
example  being  followed  by  the  others,  and  without 
attempting  to  take  any  of  the  people  out  of  the 
ship,  he  pulled  on  board  the  stranger.  There  Tas 


82  PETER    THE    WHALER. 

little  time  to  lose  ;  for  scarcely  had  they  got  along- 
side than  down  came  the  gale  upon  us. 

In  the  condition  our  ship  was,  the  only  course 
was  to  run  before  the  wind,  so  we  once  again  kept 
away.  The  stranger  soon  followed,  and  as  she  car- 
ried more  sail  than  we  could,  we  saw  she  would 
soon  pass  us.  Hope  once  more  deserted  us  ;  for  it 
was  possible  that  the  master,  finding  that  there 
were  so  many  of  us  on  board,  might  think  himself 
justified  for  the  safety  of  his  own  people  to  leave 
us  to  our  fate.  I  confess,  that  on  this  I  regretted 
that  I  had  not  gone  off  with  Silas  Flint  on  the  raft ; 
but  then  I  remembered  that  I  had  done  my  duty  in. 
sticking  to  my  ship  to  the  last.  It  seemed  dread- 
ful, indeed,  to  be  thus  left  to  perish.  However, 
just  as  the  stranger  was  about  to  pass  us,  a  man 
in  the  rigging  held  up  a  board  on  which  was  writ- 
ten the  cheering  words  :  "  We  will  keep  near  you, 
and  take  you  off  when  the  weather  moderates." 

Suppose,  I  thought,  the  weather  does  not  moder- 
ate till  the  flames  burst  forth,  and  any  moment  they 
may  break  through  the  deck. 

I  am  afraid  of  wearying  my  readers  with  an  ac- 
count of  our  sufferings. 

Our  greatest  want  was  water.  We  fancied  that, 
if  we  could  have  had  a  few  drops  to  cool  our  lips, 
we  could  have  borne  everything  else.  Some  drank 
salt-water,  against  the  warning  of  the  mate,  and  in 
consequence  increased  their  sufferings. 

Worn  out  with  fatigue,  the  crew  every  hour  grew 
weaker,  so  that  there  was  scarcely  a  man  left  with 
strength  to  steer,  much  more  to  go  aloft.  Night 
came  on  to  increase  our  difficulties.  The  stranger 
proved  to  be  the  Mary,  bound  from  Bristol  also  to 
Quebec.  She  at  first  kept  a  short  distance  ahead 
showing  a  light  over  her  stern  by  which  we  might 
Bteer. 


HIS    SAIILY    UFK    AND    ADVENTURES.          83 

I  ought  to  have  said,  that  the  captain  had  taken 
the  sextant,  chronometer,  and  charts  with  him,  and 
that  in  their  mad  outbreak  the  emigrants  had  de- 
stroyed the  binnacle  and  the  compasses  in  it,  so 
that  we  had  the  "  Mary's"  light  alone  to  depend  on 
Mr.  Bell  had  divided  those  who  remained  of  the 
crew,  and  some  of  the  emigrants  willing  to  exert 
themselves,  into  two  watches. 

I  was  to  keep  the  middle  watch.  I  lay  down  on 
the  deck  aft  to  sleep  on  one  of  the  only  few  dry  or 
clean  spots  I  could  find.  I  was  roused  up  at  mid- 
night, and  just  as  I  had  got  on  my  feet,  I  heard  a 
voice  sing  out :  "  Where's  the  Mary's  light  ?"  1 
ran  forward.  It  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 


CHAPTER    X. 

We  once  more  see  the  Mary. — Our  Hopes  of  Preservation  are 
again  disappointed. — The  Fire  is  extinguished  by  its  more 
powerful  Rival. 

FORTUNATELY  a  star  had  appeared  in  a  break 
of  the  clouds,  and  by  that  we  continued  steering 
the  same  course  as  before.  Once  more  we  were 
alone  on  the  world  of  waters,  and  in  a  worse  condi- 
tion than  ever ;  for  we  had  now  no  boats,  and  the 
sea  was  too  high  to  permit  us  to  hope  for  safety  on 
a  raft.  Weary  and  sad  were  the  hours  till  dawn 
returned.  Often  did  I  wish  that  I  had  followed  my 
father's  counsels,  and  could  have  remained  at  home. 
With  aching  eyes,  as  the  pale  light  of  the  dull  grey 
.norning  appeared,  we  looked  out  ahead  for  the 
Mary.  Not  a  sail  was  to  be  seen  from  the  deck 
The  lead-colored  ocean,  heaving  with  foam-topped 
waves,  was  around  us  bounded  by  the  horizon.  On 
flew  our  burning  ship  before  the  gale,  aud  we  wouk1 


84  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

have  set  more  sail  to  try  and  overtake  the  Mary , 
but  \fQ  had  not  strength  for  it.  We  steered  as  near 
as  we  could  the  same  course  as  before. 

The  ship  plunged  heavily ;  and  as  she  tore  her 
way  through  the  waves,  she  rolled  her  yard-arms 
almost  into  the  water,  so  that  it  was  difficult  to 
keep  the  deck  without  holding  on.  Nearly  at 
every  roll  the  sea  came  washing  over  the  deck,  and 
sweeping  everything  away  into  the  scuppers.  One 
might  have  supposed  that  the  water  would  have  put 
out  the  fire,  but  it  had  no  effect  on  it ;  and  it  was 
evident  that  the  coals  in  the  hold  were  ignited,  and 
that  they  would  go  on  burning  till  the  ship  was  un- 
der the  waves.  I  had  sunk  into  a  sort  of  stupor, 
when  I  heard  Mr.  Bell  from  aloft  hail  the  deck.  I 
looked  up  and  tried  to  comprehend  what  he  was 
saying.  It  was  the  joyful  intelligence,  that  the 
Mary  was  ahead,  lying-to  for  us.  But  I  was  too 
much  worn  out  to  care  much  about  the  matter.  We 
again  came  up  with  her,  but  though  the  wind  had 
somewhat  fallen,  the  sea  was  too  high  to  allow  a 
boat  to  carry  us  off  the  wreck. 

We  acquitted  the  kind  master  of  the  Mary  of  any 
intention  of  deserting  us.  The  officer  of  the  watch 
had  fancied  that  he  saw  us  following,  and  had  not, 
consequently,  shortened  sail.  Oh,  that  day  of  hor- 
rurs,  and  the  still  more  dreadful  night  which  fol- 
lowed !  The  fire  was  gaining  on  us  ;  every  part 
of  the  deck  was  hot,  and  thick  choking  smoke  is- 
sued from  numberless  crevices.  With  dismay,  too, 
we  saw  the  boats  on  which  our  safety  so  much  de- 
pended, dragged  to  pieces,  as  they  towed  astern  of 
the  Mary,  as  they  could  not  be  hoisted  on  board, 
and  their  wrecks  were  cut  adrift.  Even  the  crew, 
who  were  more  inured  to  hardships,  and  kept  up 
their  spirits  the  best,  could  but  arouse  themselves 
to  take  a  short  trick  at  the  helm.  What  would  vi 


HIS    EAKLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTUF  ES.          85 

have  given,  I  repeat,  for  a  drop  of  water  !  a  thou 
sand  guineas  would  willingly  have  been  exchanged 
for  it.  The  value  of  riches,  and  all  else,  for  which 
men  toil  and  toil  on  while  health  and  strength  re- 
main, were  becoming  as  nothing  in  our  sight.  One 
thing  alone  called  any  of  us  to  exertion.  It  was 
when  some  wretch,  happier,  perhaps,  than  we  were, 
breathed  his  last ;  and  the  shrieks  and  wails  of 
his  relations  or  friends  summoned  us  to  commit  his 
body  to  the  ocean-grave,  yawning  to  receive  us  all, 
the  living  as  well  as  the  dead.  I  must  pass  over 
that  night.  It  was  far  more  full  of  horrors  than 
the  last,  except  that  the  Mary,  our  only  ark  of 
safety,  was  still  in  sight. 

Another  dawn  came.  The  gale  began  to  lull.  I 
was  near  Derrick.  I  asked  him  if  he  thought  we 
had  a  chance  of  escape.  He  lifted  his  weary  head 
above  the  bulwarks.  "  I  scarce  know,  lad,"  he  re- 
plied. "  The  wind  may  be  falling,  or  it  may  be 
gathering  strength  for  a  harder  blow.  It  matters 
little,  I  guess,  to  most  of  us."  And  he  again  sunk 
down  wearily  on  the  deck.  How  anxiously  we  lis- 
tened to  the  wind  in  the  rigging.  Again  it  breezed 
up.  A  loud  clap  was  heard.  I  thought  one  of  the 
masts  had  gone  by  the  board  ;  but  it  was  the  fore 
top-sail  blown  to  ribbons.  What  next  might  fol- 
low, we  could  not  tell.  The  very  masts  began  to 
shake  ;  and  it  was  evident  that  the  fire  had  begun 
to  burn  their  heels.  Their  working  loosened  the 
deck,  and  allowed  more  vent  for  the  escape  of  the 
smoke.  There  was  again  a  lull.  The  foam  no 
longer  flew  from  the  white-crested  waves — gradu- 
ally they  subsided  in  height.  The  motion  of  the 
ship  was  less  violent,  though  she  still  rolled  heivi- 
ly,  as  if  unable  to  steady  herself. 

We  at  length  began  to  hope  that  the  final  effort 
af  the  gale  was  made.  The  day  wore  on — more 

H 


86  PETER    THE    WHALER. 

persons  died — the  smoke  grew  thicker,  and  ^as 
seen  streaming  forth  from  the  cabin-windows- 
Towards  evening  there  was  a  decided  change  for 
the  better  in  the  weather,  and  we  saw  the  people  in 
the  Mary  making  preparations  to  lower  a  boat,  and 
co  heave  the  ship  to.  Another  difficulty  arose — to 
enable  the  boat  to  come  on  board,  we  must  like- 
wise stop  the  way  of  our  ship,  but  we  had  not 
strength  to  heave  her  to. 

We  were  too  far  gone  to  feel  even  satisfaction  as 
we  saw  a  boat  pulling  from  the  Mary  towards  us. 
We  put  down  the  helm  as  she  came  near  us,  and 
the  ship  rounded  to.  The  fresh  crew  scrambled 
on  board,  and  backing  our  main  top-sail,  our  ship 
remained  steady,  a  short  distance  to  leeward  of  the 
Mary.  A  few  of  the  emigrants  were  lowered  into 
the  boat ;  some  of  the  crew  remained  to  take  care 
of  us,  and  the  remainder  returned  on  board  in 
safety.  This  experiment  having  been  successful, 
another  boat  was  lowered,  and  more  of  our  people 
taken  off.  They  brought  us  also  a  keg  of  water  ; 
and  so  eager  were  we  for  it,  that  we  could  scarcely 
refrain  from  snatching  it  from  each  other,  and  spill- 
ing the  contents.  It  occupied  a  long  time  tc 
transfer  the  emigrants  from  one  ship  to  the  other. 
The}7  were  so  utterly  unable  to  help  themselves, 
that  they  had  to  be  lowered  like  bales  of  goods  into 
the  bouts,  and  even  the  seamen  were  scarcely  more 
active. 

It  was  thus  dark  before  all  the  emigrants  were 
rescued ;  and.  what  was  worse,  the  wind  again  got 
up.  as  did  the  sea.  and  prevented  any  communica- 
tion between  the  ships.  In  one  respect  during  that 
night,  the  condition  of  those  who  remained  was  im- 
proved ;  for  we  had  water  to  quench  our  burning 
thirst,  and  food  to  quell  our  hunger  ;  besides  which, 
ft  boat's  crew  of  seamen,  belonging  to  the  Mary 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          87 

gallantly  remained  by  us.  and  navigated  the  ship, 
so  that  we  were  able  to  take  a  sounder  rest  than 
we  had  enjoyed  for  many  days  past.  Still  the 
flames  did  not  burst  forth,  and  another  night  and 
day  we  continued  in  that  floating  furnace.  To- 
wards the  evening,  the  wind  suddenly  dropped  ;  and 
while  the  remaining  emigrants  were  being  taken  off 
the  wreck,  it  fell  a  dead  calm. 

The  last  man  to  leave  the  deck  of  the  Black 
Swan  was  Mr.  Bell.  He  made  me  and  Derrick  go 
down  the  ship's  side  just  before  him.  1  trust,  that 
we  felt  grateful  to  Heaven  for  our  deliverance. 
Scarcely  had  we  left  the  deck  of  the  Black  Swan, 
than  the  flames  burst  forth  from  her  hold.  They 
first  appeared  streaming  out  of  the  cabin  windows, 
curling  upwards  round  the  taffrail.  By  this  time 
it  was  quite  dark ;  and  the  bright  light  from  the 
burning  wreck  cast  a  ruddy  glow  on  the  sails  and 
hull  of  the  Mary,  and  topped  the  far-surrounding 
waves  with  a  bright  tinge  of  the  same  hue.  Soon, 
the  whole  poop  was  on  fire  ;  and  the  triumphant 
flames  began  to  climb  up  the  mizen-mast.  As  the 
ship  lay  head  to  wind,  their  progress  was  slow  for- 
ward, nor  did  they  ascend  very  rapidly  ;  conse- 
quently the  mizen-mast  fell  before  the  main-mast 
was  on  fire.  That  shortly,  however,  followed  with 
a  loud  crash,  before  they  even  reached  the  main 
topgallant-yard.  Next,  down  came  the  fore-mast, 
and  the  whole  hull  was  a  mass  of  flame.  I  felt 
sick  at  heart,  as  I  saw  the  noble  ship  thus  for  ever 
lost  to  the  use  of  man  The  fire  was  stil1  raging, 
vhen,  overcome  with  fatigue  and  sickn?ss,  I  sunk 
on  the  deck.  As  the  Mary  sailed  away  from  her. 
she  was  seen  like  a  beacon  blazing  fiercely  in  mid- 
ocean.  Long  those  on  deck  gazed,  till  the  speck  of 
bright  light  was  on  a  sudden  lost  to  view,  and  the 
glow  in  the  sky  overhead  disappeared.  It  was 


88  PETER   THE    WHALER, 

when    her  charred  fragments   sunk  beneath  th« 
wave. 


CHAPTERXI. 

Captain  Dean  and  his  Daughter  a  contrast  to  Captain  Swales  and 
Mr.  Stovin — I  am  taken  ill,  and  gently  nursed — We  reach  a 
Port  at  last — A  Description  of  Qu  ^bec — A  Conversation  be- 
tween Mary  Dean  and  me. 

WE  were  kindly  welcomed  and  cared  for  on 
board  the  Mary,  though  we  subjected  her  passen- 
gers and  crew  to  much  inconvenience,  and  no  little 
risk  of  starving  should  her  voyage  be  prolonged. 

There  were  ladies  who  attended  with  gentle  care 
to  the  women  and  children,  and  aided  also  in  nurs- 
ing the  men.  Many  of  the  passengers  and  crew 
gave  up  their  berths  to  the  sick ;  but  the  greater 
number  of  our  people  were  compelled  to  remain  on 
deck,  sheltered,  however,  by  every  means  the  kind- 
ness of  our  hosts  could  devise.  There  was  one  fair 
blue-eyed  girl — can  I  ever  forget  her  ?  What  a 
pure  light-hearted  young  creature  she  was  !  I  felt 
at  once,  that  I  could  place  the  same  confidence  in 
her  that  I  could  in  my  own  sisters,  and  that  she 
was  a  being  superior  both  to  me  and  to  any  of  those 
by  whom  I  had  been  lately  surrounded.  Her  name 
was  Mary  Dean.  She  was  the  daughter  of  the 
master  of  the  Mary,  and  the  ship  was  named  after 
her.  Mr.  Bell  told  the  master  of  my  behavior, 
which  he  was  pleased  to  praise,  and  of  my  refusing 
to  quit  the  ship  till  he  did  ;  and  Mary  heard  the 
tale.  The  mate  also  told  him  that  I  was  the  son  of 
*  gentleman,  and  how  I  had  been  treated  by  Cap 
lain  Swales. 


1IIS    EARLY    LIFK    AND    AL  VENTURES.          89 

Captain  Dean  Avas  a  very  different  character  to 
Captain  Swales ;  with  whose  conduct  he  was  sc 
thoroughly  disgusted,  that  he  refused  to  hold  any 
further  communication  with  him  than  business  ac- 
tually required.  I  had  held  out  till  I  was  in 
safety ;  and  a  severe  attack  of  illness  then  came 
on.  Captain  Dean  had  me  removed  to  a  berth  in 
his  own  cabin,  and  Mary  became  my  nurse.  Where 
there  is  sickness  and  misery,  there  will  the  minis- 
tering hand  of  gentle  Avomanbe  found.  Mary  Dean 
watched  over  me,  as  the  ship  Avhich  bore  us  steered 
her  course  for  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  To 
her  gentle  care,  under  Providence,  I  owed  my  life. 
Several  of  the  emigrants  died  after  they  came  on 
board  the  Mary,  and  such  would  probably  have 
been  my  fate  under  less  AA'atchful  treatment. 

I  Avas  in  a  IOAV  fever,  and  unconscious.  How  long 
I  remained  so,  I  scarcely  knoAV.  I  aAvoke  one  after- 
noon, and  found  Mary  Dean  sitting  by  my  side, 
working  with  her  needle.  I  fancied  that  I  was 
dead,  and  that  she  AA-as  an  angel  watching  over  me. 
Although  I  discovered  that  the  first  part  of  the 
notion  AA'as  a  hallucination,  I  was  every  day  more 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  second.  When  I  got 
rather  better,  she  used  to  read  to  me  interesting 
and  instructive  Avorks  ;  and  every  morning  she 
read  some  portion  of  the  Bible,  and  explained  it  to 
me  in  a  manner  which  made  me  comprehend  it 
better  than  I  had  ever  done  before. 

Ten  days  thus  passed  rapidly  aAvay,  before  I  Avas 
able  to  go  on  deck.  Captain  Dean  Avas  very  kind 
to  me,  and  often  came  and  spoke  to  me,  and  gave 
me  much  useful  instruction  in  seamanship,  and 
also  in  navigation.  I  then  thought  Mary  Dean 
very  beautiful,  and  I  now  know  that  she  was  so. 
She  was  a  child,  it  must  be  remembered,  or  little 
more  than  one,  but  though  very  small  she  Avas  very 
H*  8 


90 


PETER    THK    WHALER, 


graceful.  She  was  beautifully  fair,  with  blue,  truth 
ful  eyes,  in  which  it  was  impossible  guile  could 
ever  find  a  dwelling-place.  I  have  no  doubt,  that 
my  readers  will  picture  her  to  themselves  as  she 
sat  m  the  cabin,  with  a  book  on  her  lap,  gravely 
conning  its  contents,  or  skipped  along  the  deck,  a 
being  of  light  and  life,  the  fair  spirit  of  the  sum- 
mer sea.  Such  was  Mary  Dean,  as  I  first  saw  her. 
Every  one  loved  her.  Her  father's  heart  was 
wrapped  up  in  her.  His  crew  would,  to  a  man, 
have  died,  rather  than  that  harm  should  have  hap- 
pened to  her.  On  sailed  the  ship.  There  was  much 
sickness  ;  for  all  hands  were  put  on  the  smallest 
allowance  of  water  and  provisions  it  was  possible 
to  subsist  on ;  and  we,  unfortunately,  fell  in  with 
no  other  ship  able  to  furnish  us  with  a  supply. 
At  length  the  welcome  sound  was  heard  of  "  Land 
It  was  Cape  Breton,  at  the  entrance  of 
the  trull  of  St.  Lawrence.  Rounding  the  cape,  we 
stood  towards  the  mouth  of  the  river  St.  Lawrence, 
that  vast  stream,  fed  by  those  inland  seas,  the 
lakes  of  Upper  Canada,  and  innumerable  rivers 
and  streams.  On  the  north  side  of  the  gulf,  is  the 
large  island  of  Newfoundland,  celebrated  for  its 
cod-fisheries.  A  glance  at  the  map  will  show  our 
course  far  better  than  any  description  of  mine.  I 
could  scarcely  believe  that  we  were  actually  in  the 
river,  when  we  had  already  proceeded  a  hundred 
miles  up  it,  so  distant  were  the  opposite  shores ; 
and,  till  told  of  it,  I  fancied  that  we  were  still  in 
the  open  sea.  I  was  much  struck  with  the  grand 
spectacle  which  Quebec  and  its  environs  presented, 
as,  the  ship  emerging  from  the  narrow  channel  of 
the  nver  formed  by  the  island  of  Orleans,  the  city 
first  met  my  view.  It  is  at  this  point,  that  the  St. 
Lawrence,  taking  a  sudden  turn,  expands,  BO  as  to 
assume  the  appearanc«  of  a  broad  lake. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES,          j)l 

The  sun  had  just  risen,  and  all  nature  looked 
fresh  and  green,  rejoicing  in  the  genial  warmth  of 
a  Canadian  spring.  On  the  left  was  the  town  ;  the 
bright  tin  steeples  and  house-tops  of  which,  crown- 
ing the  summit  of  Cape  Diamond,  glittered  in  the 
rays  of  the  glorious  luminary.  Ships  of  all  rigs 
and  sizes  lay  close  under  the  cliffs,  and  from  their 
diminutive  appearance  I  calculated  the  great  height 
of  the  promontory.  About  eight  miles  off.  on  the 
right,  I  could  see  the  falls  of  Montmorency,  de- 
scending in  a  sheet  of  milk-white  foam,  over  a 
lofty,  precipitous  bank,  into  the  stream  ;  which, 
winding  through  a  plain  interspersed  with  villages, 
and  studded  with  vegetation,  finds  its  way  into  the 
St.  Lawrence.  Quebec  is  divided  into  two  distinct 
parts. 

The  lower  town  occupies  a  narrow  strip  of  land 
between  the  precipitous  heights  of  Cape  Diamond 
and  the  river.  It  is  connected  with  the  upper  town 
by  means  of  a  steep  street,  built  in  a  ravine,  which 
is  commanded  by  the  guns  of  a  strongly  fortified 
gateway. 

The  lower  town  is  principally  inhabited  by 
merchants  ;  and  so  much  straitened  are  they  for 
room,  that  many  of  their  houses  are  built  upon 
wharfs,  and  other  artificial  ground.  The  streets 
of  Quebec  are  very  narrow,  and  there  is  a  general 
appearance  of  antiquity,  not  often  to  be  met  with 
in  an  American  town.  The  suburbs  are  situated 
on  the  shores  of  the  St.  Charles,  without  the  for- 
tifications. But  I  afterwards  found,  that  the  most 
magnificent  prospect  was  from  the  summit  of  the 
Citadel  on  Cape  Diamond,  whence  one  may  look 
over  the  celebrated  plains  of  Abraham,  on  which 
the  gallant  Wolf  gained  the  victory  which  gave 
Canada  to  England,  and  where,  fighting  nobly,  he 
fell  in  the  hour  of  triumph.  But  my  object  ia 


!52  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

rather  to  describe  a  few  of  the  events  of  my  earl) 
days  than  the  scenes  I  visited.  It  was  a  happy 
moment  when  we  at  length  dropped  our  anchor, 
and  water  was  brought  off  to  quench  the  thirst 
from  which  all  had  more  or  less  suffered.  Aa 
sixm  us  the  necessary  forms  were  gone  through, 
the  emigrants  went  on  shore,  and,  with  few  excep- 
tions, I  saw  them  no  more. 

I  was  the  only  person  on  board  who  regretted 
that  the  voyage  was  over.  I  wished  to  see  the 
country,  and  the  Indians,  and  the  vast  lakes,  and 
boundless  prairies  ;  but  far  rather  would  I  have 
remained  with  Mary  and  her  father.  At  least  I 
thought  so,  as  the  time  for  quitting  them,  probably 
for  ever,  arrived.  I  regretted  much  leaving  Cap- 
tain Dean,  for  he  had  been  very  kind  to  me  ;  in- 
deed, he  had  treated  me  almost  like  a  son,  and  I 
felt  grateful  to  him.  It  was  evening.  The  ship 
was  to  haul  in  the  next  morning  alongside  the 
quay  to  discharge  her  cargo.  The  captain  was  on 
shore  and  all  the  emigrants.  Except  the  anchor- 
watch  on  deck,  the  crew  were  below.  Mary  and  I 
were  the  only  persons  on  the  quarter-deck. 

''  Mary,"  I  said,  as  I  took  her  hand — the  words 
almost  choked  me  while  I  spoke — "  to-morrow  I  must 
leave  you  to  look  out  for  a  berth  on  board  some 
homeward-bound  ship.  You  have  been  very,  very 
kind  to  me,  Mary  ;  and  I  am  grateful,  I  am  in- 
deed, to  you  and  to  your  father." 

"  But  I  do  not  see  why  you  should  leave  us,  Pe- 
ter," answered  Mary,  looking  gravely  up  with  a 
somewhat  surprised  air.  "  Has  not  my  father  told 
you  that  he  thinks  of  asking  you  to  remain  with 
him  ;  and  then,  some  day,  when  you  know  more  of 
seamanship,  you  will  become  his  mate.  Think  of 
that,  Peter,  how  pleasant  it  will  be,  so  you  must 
not  think  of  leaving  us." 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.         93 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  go,  I  can  assure  you,  except 
that  I  am  expected  at  home,"  I  replied.  "  But,  if 
I  stay,  what  office  are  you  to  hold  on  board,  Mary  ?" 
I  could  not  help  asking. 

"  0,  I  suppose  that  I  shall  be  another  of  the 
mates,"  she  replied,  laughing.  "  Do  you  know, 
Peter,  that  if  I  have  you  to  study  with,  I  think 
that  I  shall  make  a  very  good  sailor  in  a  short 
time.  I  can  put  the  ship  about  now  in  very  good 
style,  let  me  tell  you." 

"  That's  more  than  I  can  do,  I  am  afraid,"  I  ob- 
served :  "  but  then  I  can  go  aloft,  and  hand  and 
reef ;.  so  there  I  beat  you." 

"  I  should  not  be  a  bit  afraid  of  going  aloft,  if  I 
was  dressed  like  you,  and  papa  would  let  me,"  she 
answered  naively.  "  I  often  envy  the  men  as  I 
see  them  lying  out  on  the  yards  or  at  the  mast- 
head when  the  ship  is  rolling  and  pitching,  and  I 
fancy  that  next  to  the  sensations  of  a  bird  on  the 
wing,  theirs  must  be  the  most  enjoyable." 

"You  are  a  true  sailor's  daughter,  Mary,"  I  an- 
swered, with  more  enthusiasm  than  I  had  ever  be- 
fore felt.  "  But  I  don't  think  your  father  would 
quite  like  to  see  you  aloft ;  and  let  me  tell  you, 
when  there's  much  sea  on,  and  it's  blowing  hard, 
it's  much  more  difficult  to  keep  there  than  it  looks." 

Thus  we  talked  on,  and  touched  on  other  topics ; 
but  they  chiefly  had  reference  to  ourselves. 
Nearly  the  last  words  Mary  uttered  were  :  "  Then 
you  will  sail  with  father,  if  he  asks  you,  Peter  ?" 

I  promised,  and  afterwards  added  :  "  For  the 
sake  of  sailing  with  him,  Mary,  my  dear  young 
sister,  if  you  are  on  board,  I  would  give  up  kin- 
dred, home,  and  country.  I  would  sail  with  you 
round  and  round  the  world,  and  never  wish  again 
to  see  the  shore,  except  you  were  there."  She 
was  satisfied  at  having  gained  her  point.  We 


'J4  PETER    THE    WHALER 

ind  little  k 
proposing 


were  very  young,  and  little  knew  the  dangerous  sea 
on  which  we  were  proposing  to  sail.      I  called  her 
for  I  felt  as  if  she  were  indeed  my  sister 


CHAPTER   XII. 

I  a^ree  to  sail  with  Captain  Dean. — An  Old  Frit*id  reappears.— 
He  persuades  me  to  accompany  him  up  the  Country. — I  visit 
the  Lakes. 

THE  next  morning  the  Mary  commenced  dis- 
ciiarging  her  cargo.  Captain  Dean  then  told  me, 
that  he  hoped  I  would  sail  with  him ;  but  that,  as 
the  ship  required  a  thorough  repair,  it  would  be 
some  weeks  before  she  could  be  at  sea  again,  and 
that  in  the  meantime  he  would  advise  me  to  employ 
myself  usefully ;  and  lie  recommended  me  to  take 
a  trip  in  a  trader  to  Halifax  or  St.  John's  for  the 
sake  of  gaining  information  regarding  the  naviga- 
tion of  those  seas. 

"  A  person  who  wishes  to  be  a  thorough  sailor 
every  opportunity  of  making  himself  well  acquainted 
(and  if  a  man  is  not  a  thorough  sailor  he  has  no 
business  to  be  an  officer),"  he  observed,  "  will  seek 
with  the  navigation  of  every  sea  he  visits  ;  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  coasts,  the  set  of  the  currents,  the 
rise  and  fall  of  the  tides,  the  prevailing  winds  and 
the  weather  to  be  expected  at  different  seasons. 
He  will  go  afloat  in  every  sort  of  craft,  and  be  con 
sequently  considering  how  he  would  act  under  all 
possible  circumstances.  He  should  never  weary 
of  making  inquiries  of  other  seamen  how  they  have 
acted,  and  the  result  of  what  they  have  done.  As 
navigation  was  not  brought  to  the  perfection  it  has 
now  attained  under  many  centuries,  so  no  man 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          95 

will  becon.e  a  perfect  seaman  unless  he  diligently 
gathers  together  the  information  possessed  by  all 
whom  he  meets,  at  the  same  time  weighing  well 
their  opinions,  and  adopting  them  after  duly  com- 
paring them  with  others." 

I  have  always  remembered  Captain  Dean's  ad- 
vice, and  I  advise  all  young  sailors  to  follow  it ; 
indeed,  it  strikes  me  that  it  is  applicable  to  most 
relations  in  life. 

I  looked  about  for  a  vessel,  but  could  not  find  one  ; 
meantime,  by  the  captain's  kindness,  I  remained  on 
board,  though  he  and  Mary  went  to  live  in  lodgings 
on  shore,  as,  of  course,  in  the  state  the  ship  was  in. 
she  could  have  no  comfort  even  in  her  own  cabin. 
About  three  or  four  days  after  our  arrival,  I  saw  a 
ship  ascend  the  river  and  come  to  an  anchor  not  far 
from  where  we  were  lying.  Prompted  by  curi- 
osity I  was  looking  at  her  through  a  telescope, 
when  I  observed  a  group  of  people  on  the  deck 
who  were  gazing  apparently  with  the  curiosity  of 
strangers  at  the  shore.  A  little  apart  from  them 
stood  a  form  I  thought  I  recognized.  I  pointed  my 
glass  steadily  at  him.  I  felt  certain  that  I  could 
not  be  mistaken.  It  was  Silas  Flint.  Then  all  in 
the  raft,  instead  of  perishing,  as  it  was  supposed 
they  would,  might  have  been  saved,  as  he  had 
escaped.  I  was  truly  glad,  and  borrowing  the 
dingy  from  the  mate  I  pulled  on  board  the  newly 
arrived  ship. 

Silas,  for  I  was  right  in  my  conjectures,  was 
looking  over  the  side  as  I  climbed  up  it.  He  almost 
wrung  my  hand  off  as  he  took  it  in  his  grasp.  ';  I 
am  glad  to  see  ye,  I  am,  Peter,"  he  exclaimed. 
"  Why,  lad,  I  thought  you  had  gone  to  the  bottom 
with  all  who  remained  on  board." 

I  told  him  that  we  had  in  like  manner  fancied 
that  all  on  the  raft  had  perished  j  and  I  was  glad 


96  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

co  find  that  with  the  exception  of  two,  all  had  been 
picked  up  by  the  ship  on  board  of  which  they  theii 
were.  He  then  asked  me  what  my  plans  were,  and 
I  told  him  what  Captain  Dean  advised.  He  next 
inquired,  if  I  had  seen  Captain  Swales.  I  replied, 
that  I  had  met  him  twice  in  the  streets  of  Quebec, 
and  that  he  had  eyed  me  with  no  very  friendly 
glance. 

"  Then  depend  on  it,  Peter,  he  means  you  some 
mischief,"  he  observed.  "  If  he  gets  another  ship 
here,  which  is  likely  enough  he  will,  he  will  want 
hands,  and  if  he  can  lay  hold  of  you,  he  will  claim 
you  as  put  under  his  charge  by  your  father ;  and  I 
don't  know  how  you  are  to  get  off." 

"  By  keeping  out  of  his  way,  I  should  think,"  I 
replied. 

"  That's  just  what  I  was  going  to  advise  you  to 
do,  Peter,"  observed  Silas.  "  And  I'll  tell  you  what, 
lad,  instead  of  your  kicking  your  heels  doing  no- 
thing in  this  place,  you  and  I  will  start  off  up  the 
country  with  our  guns  as  soon  as  I  have  done  my 
business  here,  which  won't  take  long  ;  and  we'll  see, 
if  we  can't  pick  up  a  few  skins  which  will  be  worth 
something." 

This  proposition,  as  may  be  supposed,  was  much 
to  my  taste ;  but  I  did  not  much  like  the  thoughts 
of  leaving  Captain  Dean  and  Mary,  though  I  did 
not  tell  him  so.  He,  however,  very  soon  discovered 
what  WAS  running  in  my  mind,  and  set  himself  to 
work  to  overcome  the  wish  I  had  to  remain  with 
them.  I  had  found  so  few  friends  of  late,  that  I 
had  learned  to  value  them  properly.  But  Silas 
Flint  wanted  a  companion,  and,  liking  me,  was  re- 
solved that  I  should  accompany  him.  We  went  on 
shore  together ;  and  before  the  day  was  over,  he 
had  so  worked  up  my  imagination  by  his  descrip- 


HIS    EARLY    UFE    AND    ADVENTURES.          97 

tions  of  the  sports  and  scenery  of  the  backwoods, 
that  I  became  most  eager  to  set  off. 

I  next  day  told  Captain  Dean,  and  as  I  assured 
him,  that  it  was  my  father's  wish  that  I  should 
Bee  something  of  the  country,  he  did  not  oppose 
the  plan,  provided  I  should  return  in  time  to  sail 
with  him.  This  I  promised  to  do  ;  and  I  then  went 
below  to  tell  Mary,  who  was  in  the  cabin  packing 
up  some  things  to  take  on  shore.  To  my  surprise 
she  burst  into  tears  when  I  gave  her  the  informa- 
tion ;  and  this  very  nearly  made  me  abandon  my 
project.  When,  however,  I  told  her  of  my  promise 
to  return,  she  was  comforted ;  and  I  added,  that  I 
would  bring  her  back  plenty  of  skins  to  make  her 
tippets  and  muffs  for  the  winter,  to  last  her  for 
years. 

Three  days  after  his  arrival  at  Quebec,  Flint  was 
ready  to  set  out.  I  had  preserved  intact  the  money 
my  kind  father  had  given  me,  and  with  it  I  pur- 
chased, at  Flint's  suggestion,  a  rifle  and  powder 
and  a  shot  belt,  a  tinder-box,  a  pipe,  some  tobacco. 
a  tin  cup,  and  a  few  other  small  articles.  "  Now 
you've  laid  in  your  stock  in  trade,  my  lad,"  he  ob- 
served, as  he  announced  my  outfit  to  be  complete. 
'•'  With  a  quick  eye  and  a  steady  hand  you've  the 
means,  by  my  help,  of  making  your  fortune  ;  so  the 
sooner  we  camp  out  and  begin  the  better." 

I  told  him,  I  was  ready,  and  asked  him  where  we 
were  to  go. 

"  Oh,  never  you  mind  that,  lad,"  he  replied. 
"  It's  a  long  way  from  here ;  but  a  man,  with  his 
eyes  open,  can  always  find  his  way  there  and  back. 
All  you've  to  do  is  to  follow  the  setting  sun  going, 
and  to  look  out  for  him  rising  when  coming  back." 

"  Then  I  suppose  you  mean  to  go  to  the  west- 
ward ?"  I  observed. 

"Aye,  lad,  to  the  far  west,"  he  answered;  but  I 
ft  i 


98  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

confess  that  at  the  time  I  had  no  idea  how  far  off 
that  "  far  west "  was. 

We  set  off  the  next  morning  by  a  steamer  to 
Montreal,  and  on  from  thence,  past  Kingston,  to 
Toronto  on  Lake  Ontario,  in  Upper  Canada.  Flint 
lent  me  money  to  pay  my  way.  He  said  that  I 
should  soon  be  able  to  reimburse  him.  I  need  not 
say  how  delighted  I  was  Avith  the  fine  scenery  and 
the  superb  inland  seas  on  which  I  floated.  I  could 
scarcely  persuade  myself  that  I  was  not  on  the 
ocean,  till  I  tasted  the  water  alongside.  Flint  told 
me  with  a  chuckle,  that  once  upon  a  time  the  Eng- 
lish Government  sent  some  ships  of  war  in  frame 
out  to  the  Lakes,  and  also  a  supply  of  water  tanks, 
forgetting  that  they  would  have  a  very  ample  one 
outside.  "A  little  forethought  would  have  saved  the 
ridicule  they  gained  for  this  mistake,  and  the  ex- 
pense to  which  they  put  the  country.  As  my 
intention  is  to  describe  my  adventures  afloat  rather 
than  those  on  shore,  I  shall  be  very  brief  with  my 
account  of  the  life  we  led  in  the  backwoods. 

From  Toronto  we  crossed  the  country  to  Good- 
rich, a  town  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Huron.  Here 
we  took  a  passage  in  a  sailing  vessel,  trading  to  the 
factories  on  the  northern  shore  of  the  Lake,  and  at 
the  nearest  we  landed  and  prepared  for  our  expe- 
dition. Flint  observed,  that  as  we  were  short  of 
funds,  we  must  proceed  on  an  economical  principle. 
He  therefore  purchased  only  a  small  though  strong 
pony,  to  carry  our  provisions  and  the  skins  of  the 
animals  we  might  kill,  while  we  were  to  proceed 
humbly  on  foot. 

We  were  now  in  a  land  teeming  with  every  de- 
scription of  game;  and  I  was  able  to  prove  to  Flint 
that  I  was  not  a  worse  shot  than  I  had  sometimes 
boasted  to  him  of  being.  The  weather  was  gene- 
rally fine,  so  that  a  bark  hut  afforded  us  ampU 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.         99 

shelter  at  night,  and  our  rifles  gave  us  as  much 
food  as  we  could  require.  Our  greatest  enemies 
were  musquitoes  and  other  flies,  and  it  was  only  by 
smearing  our  faces  over  with  fat  that  we  could  free 
ourselves  from  their  attacks. 

We  constantly  encountered  the  Indian  inhabi- 
tants of  that  territory ;  but  they  were  invariably 
friendly,  and  willing  to  trade  with  us.  Silas  under- 
stood their  language  a  little,  so  that  with  the  aid 
of  signs  we  could  carry  on  sufficient  conversation 
for  our  purpose.  Six  weeks  thus  passed  rapidly 
away,  and  I  calculated  that  it  would  be  time  for  me 
to  return  to  Quebec ;  so  I  told  Silas  I  must  wish 
him  good-bye.  He  seemed  very  much  vexed  at  this ; 
for  I  believe  that  he  both  liked  my  society,  and  found 
me  very  useful  to  him.  He  had,  indeed,  formed 
the  intention  of  keeping  me  by  him,  and  convert- 
ing me  into  a  regular  trapper  and  hunter;  but  fond 
as  I  was  of  sport,  for  this  I  had  no  fancy,  and  I 
therefore  persisted  in  my  purpose  of  returning. 
Seeing  that  he  could  not  prevail  on  me  to  remain, 
he  accompanied  me  back  to  the  fort,  where  he  made 
over  to  me  my  fair  share  of  the  skins. 

After  the  delay  of  a  week  I  found  a  vessel  return- 
ing to  the  lower  lakes,  and  in  her  I  set  sail  for 
Quebec.  My  readers  must  excuse  me  for  being 
thus  brief  in  my  description  of  my  doings  on  shore ; 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  I  am  writing  an 
account  of  my  sea  adventures,  and  I  must  defer  the 
former  to  another  opj  ortunity. 


100  PETER    THE    WHALER. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Retum  to  Quebec.— A  bitter  Disappointment.— Search  in  vail 
for  my  Friends. — Journey  through  the  Western  States. — New 
Orleans.— Captain  Hawk  of  the  Foam.— A  Slaver.— Captain 
Searle  of  the  Susannah. 

AT  length  I  reached  Quebec,  and  hurried  to  the 
»-<iay,  where  I  had  left  the  Mary.  She  was  not 
there — I  hastened  to  the  dock -yard,  where  she  was 
to  be  repaired,  I  made  enquiries  for  her  of  every- 
body I  met.  "  What,  the  Mary,  Captain  Dean  ?" 
replied  a  shipwright  to  whom  I  spoke,  "  why,  she 
sailed  vnree  weeks  ago  and  better,  for  the  West 
Indies,  or  some  of  them  ports  to  the  southward — 
she's  pretty  well  there  by  this  time." 

I  felt  that  he  was  speaking  the  truth,  and  my 
heart  sunk  within  me  ;  but  to  make  sure,  I  ran  on 
to  the  house  at  which  Captain  Dean  and  Mary  had 
lodged.  The  woman,  \\ho  was  a  French  Canadian, 
received  me  very  kindly,  and  seemed  to  enter  into 
my  feelings,  when  she  corroborated  the  account  I 
had  heard.  She  did  not  know  exactly  where  the 
ship  had  gone ;  but  she  said  that  my  friends  were 
very  sorry  when  I  did  not  come  back  at  the  time 
appointed.  At  last,  Monsieur,  the  captain,  grew 
angry,  and  said  he  was  afraid  I  was  an  idle  fellow, 
nd  preferred  the  vagabond  life  of  a  hunter  to  the 


harder  though  nobler  work  of  a  seaman  ;  but  "  ma 


pauvre  pMite"  as  she  called  Mary,  took  my  part, 
and  said  she  was  certain  some  accident  had  hap- 
pened to  me.  or  I  should  have  been  back  when  I 
promised.  "  Sweet  Mary,  I  knew  that  she  would 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES        101 

defend  me,"  I  muttered  ;  "  and  yet  how  little  do  1 
deserve  her  confidence  !" 

u  Ah,  she  is  indeed  a  sweet  child,"  observed  Ma- 
dam Durand,  divining  my  thoughts  ;  "  she  cried 
very  much  indeed  when  the  ship  had  to  sail  away 
without  you,  and  nothing  would  comfort  the  poor 
dear." 

This  information,  though  very  flattering  to  me, 
added  to  my  regret.  I  was  now  obliged  to  con- 
sider what  I  should  next  do.  After  the  free  wild 
life  I  had  been  leading,  the  idea  of  returning  to 
Ireland  was  odious  to  me.  I  can  scarcely  now  ac- 
count for  my  conduct  in  this  respect,  but  1  had  but 
once  written  home  on  my  arrival  at  Quebec  ;  and 
during  my  long  excursions  to  the  back-woods,  I 
never  had  time.  I  was  now  ashamed  to  write.  I 
seldom  ever  thought  of  those  at  home.  I  had  sunk, 
I  felt,  from  their  grade  whenever  I  recollected 
them.  My  whole  attention  had  been  for  so  long 
occupied  with  the  present,  that  the  past  was,  as  it 
were,  a  blank,  or  as  a  story  which  I  had  read  in 
some  book,  and  had  almost  forgotten.  I  therefore 
hardly  for  a  moment  thought  of  going  back,  if  I 
did  so  at  all ;  but  I  Avas  anxious  to  fall  in  again 
with  Captain  Dean.  I  fancied  the  pleasures  of  a 
sea  life  more  than  those  of  a  hunter  ;  but  I  was 
not  yet  altogether  tired  of  the  backwoods.  I  had 
still  a  hankering  to  trap  a  few  more  beavers,  and 
to  shoot  some  more  racoons  and  deer. 

On  making  further  enquiries  of  the  ship-broker, 
I  discovered  that  there  was  a  possibility  of  Cap 
tain  Dean's  going  to  New  Orleans  ;  and  I  at  once 
formed  the  idea  of  finding  my  way,  by  land  and 
river,  to  that  city.  I  knew  a  little  more  of  the 
geography  of  the  country  than  I  did  on  my  arri- 
val ;  but  the  immense  distance  no  way  dauuiecl 
me  I  wanted  to  visit  the  states,  and  I  was  cer 


102  PETEK     I'HK    WHALER, 

tain  that  my  gun  would  always  afford  me  the  means 
of  proceeding  by  any  public  conveyance,  when  I 
required  it.  J  had  a  good  sum  remaining  from  the 
sale  of  the  peltries  I  had  saved  ;  and,  with  this  in 
my  pockets,  I  once  more  started  for  the  lakes  of 
Cpper  Canada,  purposing  from  thence  to  work  my 
way  through  the  western  states,  down  the  Missis- 
sippi, to  Kew  Orleans. 

An  American  vessel,  which  I  found  at  Good- 
rich, conveyed  me,  through  Lake  Huron,  to  a  fort 
at  the  southern  extremity  of  Luke  Michigan,  called, 
if  I  recollect  rightly,  Fort  Dearborn.  The  voyage 
was  long  and  tiresome.  The  feeling,  that  one  is  in 
a  fresh-water  lake,  and,  at  the  same  time,  being  out 
of  sight  of  land  for  days  together,  is  very  curious. 
It  gives  one  a  more  perfect  notion  than  anything 
else  can  of  the  vastness  of  the  country  in  which 
such  inland  seas  exist.  I  must  be  excused  from 
giving  any  minute  account  of  my  adventures  at  this 
period,  as  I  made  no  notes,  and  I  do  not  recur  to 
them  with  much  satisfaction.  In  fact,  I  was  weary 
of  the  solitary  life  of  a  hunter  and  trapper,  and 
longed  once  more  to  be  among  people  with  Avhoni  I 
could  have  some  thoughts  anil  feelings  in  common. 

Till  I  got  into  the  settled  districts,  I  shot  and 
trapped  as  before.  My  rifle  always  supplied  me 
with  abundance  of  food ;  and,  whenever  I  reached 
a  trading-post,  I  was  able  to  exchange  iny  peltries 
for  a  fresh  store  of  poitderand  shot.  When  pass- 
ing through  the  more  inhabited  districts,  I  was  in- 
variably hospitably  received  by  the  settlers,  what- 
ever was  the  nation  to  which  they  before  belonged. 
Travelling  through  a  large  portion  of  the  state  of 
Indiana,  I  entered  that  of  Illinois  ;  and,  at  length, 
I  embarked  with  a  party  of  hunters,  in  a  canoe,  on 
the  river  of  the  same  name,  which  runs  through  its 
eertre  With  these  people  I  proceeded  to  St.  Louis, 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.        lOrl 

a  city  situated  on  the  spot  where  the  mighty  streams 
of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  join  their  Avaters. 

St.  Louis  was  founded  by  the  French,  and  is  still 
very  French  in  its  general  aspect.  I  here  eapily 
disposed  of  my  remaining  skins  for  a  good  sum  of 
money,  which  I  secured  in  a  band  round  my  waist. 
I  remained  here  only  two  days,  for  I  was  anxious 
to  proceed  to  the  south  ;  and,  finding  a  steamer 
starting  down  the  Mississippi,  I  went  on  board,  and, 
for  about  eight  dollars,  engaged  a  passage  on  deck 
to  New  Orleans.  The  passage  occupied  ten  days. 
By  my  usual  way  of  proceeding,  on  foot,  I  should 
have  been  as  many  months,  with  a  constant  proba- 
bility of  dying  of  fever  on  the  way. 

I  must  make  a  remark  for  the  benefit  of  English- 
men who  may  contemplate  settling  in  the  United 
States.  They  expect  to  finci  land  cheap,  no  taxes, 
and  few  laws  to  hamper  their  will.  In  this  they 
will  not  be  disappointed  ;  but  there  will  be  a  con- 
siderable expense  incurred  in  reaching  those  set- 
tlements where  land  is  cheap  ;  the;y  will,  probably, 
be  a  very  great  distance  from  a  market  for  their 
produce ;  and,  though  they  have  no  taxes  and  few 
laws,  neither  will  they  have  the  advantage  which 
taxes  and  laws  afford.  They  will  be  far  removed 
from  the  ordinances  of  their  church,  and  the  oppor- 
tunities of  education ;  there  will  neither  be  the 
who'- j  to  buy  nor  to  sell ;  in  fact,  they  must  be  de- 
prived of  many  of  the  advantages  of  civilization  : 
added  to  which,  many  parts  of  the  western  states 
are  unhealthy  in  the  greatest  degree,  of  which  the 
wretched,  sallow,  ague-stricken  beings  inhabiting 
them  afforded  melancholy  proof;  and  these  people, 
I  found,  were  once  stout,  healthy  peasants  in  Eng- 
land, and  would  have  continued  healthy,  and  gained 
what  they  hoped  for  besides,  had  ti.cy  emigrated 
to  Canada  or  to  any  other  British  colony,  or  CVOD 


LOi  PETER   THE    \VHALER, 

had  they  possessed  more  knowledge  of  the  tern 
tory  of  the  United  States.  I  do  not  say,  that  manj 
British  emigrants  who  give  up  their  country  and 
become  aliens  in  the  states,  do  not  succeed,  and 
thus  the  accounts  they  send  home  encourage  others 
to  go  out ;  but  I  do  say  that  thousands  of  others 
die  miserably  of  sickness  and  disappointment,  with- 
out a  friendly  hand  to  help  or  cheer  them,  or  any 
one  to  afford  them  the  consolations  of  religion ; 
and  of  their  fate  we  never  hear  a  word. 

New  Orleans  is  justly  called  the  wet  grave  of 
the  white  man,  for  yearly  pestilence  sweeps  off 
thousands  of  its  inhabitants  ;  and  as  water  is  found 
but  two  feet  below  the  surface,  it  fills  each  last  re- 
ceptacle of  the  dead  as  soon  as  dug.  Yet  pestilen- 
tial as  is  the  clime,  the  scenery  is  very  beautiful. 
The  stream,  which  is  here  a  mile  broad,  rolls  its 
immense  volume  of  water  with  calm  dignity,  in  a 
bed  above  two  hundred  feet  deep,  past  this  great 
commercial  mart  of  the  south.  The  banks  on  either 
side  are  covered  with  sugar  plantations,  from  the 
midst  of  which  rise  numberless  airy  mansions  of 
the  wealthy  owners,  surrounded  with  orange,  ba- 
nana, lime,  and  fig  trees,  with  numberless  other 
productions  of  the  tropics  ;  while  behind  them  can 
be  seen  the  sugar-houses  and  the  cabins  of  the  ne- 
groes. 

The  city  itself  stands  in  the  form  of  a  half-moon, 
on  the  banks  of  this  mighty  stream,  and  before  it  are 
moored  craft  of  every  description — backwood  boats, 
keel  boats,  steamers  and  ships,  brigs  and  schooners 
from  every  part  of  the  world.  I  may  remark,  that 
directly  behind  the  city  is  an  impenetrable  swanip; 
into  which  all  the  filth  from  the  houses  is  led,  for 
the  ground  is  lower  than  the  surface  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  then  we  cannot  be  surprised  that  rlague 
and  fever  prevail  to  a  terrific  extent. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       lUd 

As  soon  as  I  landed  I  set  to  work  to  try  and 
discover  the  Mary,  if  she  was  there,  or  to  gain  tid- 
ings of  her  should  she  have  sailed,  as,  from  the 
length  of  time  I  had  occupied  in  my  journey,  I  waa 
afraid  might  be  the  case.  I  walked  along  the  quays, 
examining  every  ship  in  the  river  ;  and  after  a  long 
search  I  was  convinced  that  the  Mary  was  not  there. 
I  next  had  recourse  to  the  ship-brokers  and  ship 
chandlers,  but  from  none  of  them  could  I  gain  any 
information.  I  then  began  to  make  enquiries  of 
the  people  I  found  lounging  about  the  quays  smok- 
ing, and  otherwise  killing  the  time.  At  last  I  saw 
a  man  who  stood  lounging  against  a  post,  with  a 
cigar  in  his  mouth  and  his  arms  folded,  and  who, 
by  the  glance  he  cast  at  me,  seemed  to  court  en- 
quiry. 

He  was,  I  remember  well,  a  sallow-faced,  gaunt 
fellow,  with  large  expressive  eyes  and  black  hair, 
which  hung  down  from  under  his  Panama  hat  in 
ringlets,  while  a  pair  of  golden  rings  adorned  his 
ears.  He  had  on  a  Nankin  jacket  and  large  white 
trowsers,  with  a  rich  silk  sash  round  his  waist,  in 
which  was  ostentatiously  stuck  a  dagger,  or  rather 
a  Spanish  knife,  with  a  handsome  silver  hilt.  I 
took  him  for  a  Spaniard  by  his  appearance ;  but 
when  I  accosted  him  in  English  he  replied  in  the 
same  language,  with  scarcely  a  foreign  accent. 
"  And  so  you  are  looking  for  the  Mary,  Captain 
Dean,  are  you  ?  Very  curious,"  he  observed,  "  I 
left  her  three  weeks  ago  at  the  Havana  waiting 
for  a  cargo  ;  and  she  won't  be  off  again  for  another 
three  weeks  or  more." 

"  Then  I  may  reach  her  in  time,"  I  ejaculated. 

"  Do  you  belong  to  her  ?"  he  continued.  "  You 
have  not  much  the  look  of  a  seaman." 

He  was  right ;  for  I  was  still  dressed  in  mjr  moc 
Chains  and  hunting  costume,  with  my  rifle  in  my 


106  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

hand,  and  my  other  worldly  property  slung  about 
ine,  so  I  must  have  cut  rather  a  curious  figure. 

T  replied,  that  I  was  to  have  belonged  to  her,  and 
explained  how  it  happened  that  she  had  sailed 
without  ine.  By  degrees,  I  told  him  more  of  my 
history  ;  and  finally,  without  my  intending  it,  he 
drew  the  whole  of  it  from  me. 

"  You  are  a  likely  lad,"  he  observed,  with  an 
approving  nod.  "  The  fact  is,  I  sail  to-morrow  for 
the  Havana,  in  the  schooner  you  see  out  yonder ; 
and  if  yon  like  to  ship  on  board  you  may,  that's 
all."  He  pointed,  as  he  spoke,  to  a  large  square 
topsail  schooner,  which  lay  out  in  the  stream,  at  a 
single  anchor. 

She  will  not  take  long  to  get  under  weigh,  I 
thought,  as  I  looked  at  her.  Eager  as  I  was  to 
reach  the  Havana,  I  jumped  at  his  offer.  "  I 
have  not  been  accustomed  to  a  craft  like  yours,"  I 
replied  ;  "  but  I  will  do  my  duty  on  board  her,  to 
the  best  of  my  power." 

"  That's  all  we  require  ;  and  perhaps,  if  you  find 
your  friend  gone,  you  will  like  us  well  enough  to 
remain  with  us,"  he  observed,  with  a  laugh.  "  We 
are  constantly  on  the  wing,  so  you  will  have  no 
time  to  get  weary  of  any  place  where  we  touch,  as 
is  the  case  in  those  big  ships,  which  lie  in  harboi 
for  months  together.  If  you  want  to  become  a 
seaman,  go  to  sea  in  a  small  craft,  say  I." 

I  told  him  that  I  did  wish  to  become  a  seaman  ; 
but  I  did  not  say  that  it  was  for  the  sake  of  sailing 
with  Captain  Dean  ;  nor  did  I  mention  his 
daughter.  Indeed,  I  had  kept  her  name  altogether 
out  of  my  narrative. 

The  arrangement  being  concluded,  he  advised 
me  to  go  and  get  a  sea-rig,  remarking,  that  my 
present  costume  was  not  exactly  suited  for  going 
ak'ft  in.  Tlxore  were  several  outfitting  shops,  such 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES         ICT 

as  are  to  be  found  iu  all  seaports,  and  towards  one 
of  them  of  the  most  inviting  appearance  I  bent  iny 
steps.  Before  going,  however,  I  inquired  of  my 
new  friend  his  name  and  that  of  the  schooner. 

"  The  English  and  Americans  call  me  John 
Hawk,  and  my  craft  the  Foam,"  he  answered. 
"  Captain  John  Hawk — remember — the  name  ia 
not  amiss — so  you  may  use  it,  for  want  of  a  better." 

"  Are  you  neither  an  Englishman  nor  an  Amer- 
ican," I  asked. 

"  No,  youngster,  I  belong  to  no  nation,"  he  re 
plied,  and  I  observed  a  deep  frown  on  his  brow  as 
he  spoke.  "  Neither  Spain,  France,  Portugal. 
England,  nor  even  this  free  and  enlightened  coun 
try,  owns  me.  Are  you  afraid  of  sailing  with  me, 
in  consequence  of  my  telling  you  this  ?  If  you  are, 
you  may  be  off  your  bargain." 

"  No,"  I  answered  ;  "  no  ;  I  merely  asked  for 
curiosity  ;  and  I  hops  you  won't  consider  me  im- 
pertinent." 

"  Not  if  you  don't  insist  on  an  answer,"  he  re- 
plied. "  And  now  go  and  get  your  outfit." 

As  I  walked  along,  I  meditated  on  his  odd  ex- 
pressions ;  but  I  had  no  misgivings  on  the  subject. 
I  did  not  like  the  first  shop  I  reached,  so  I  went  on 
to  another,  with  the  master  of  which  I  was  more 
pleased.  I  there,  at  a  fair  price,  very  soon  got  the 
things  I  wanted  ;  and,  going  into  a  back-room, 
rigged  myself  out  in  them  ;  while  my  hunting  cos- 
tume I  did  up  in  a  bundle,  to  carry  with  me,  for  I 
was  unwilling  to  part  from  so  old  and  tried  a  friend. 

As  I  was  paying  for  the  things,  the  whole  of 
which  cost  somewhere  about  fifteen  dollars,  a  stout, 
good-looking,  elderly  man  came  into  the  shop.  I 
at  once  recognised  him  as  the  master  of  an  Amer- 
ican brig  on  board  of  which  I  had  been  in  the  Li- 
verpool docks.  I  felt  as  if  he  was  an  oil  friend 


108  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

and  could  not  help  speaking  to  him.  II  i  was  verj 
good-natured,  though  he  did  not  remember  me 
which  was  not  surprising.  I  asked  him  if  he  hati 
met  the  Mary. 

"  I  left  her  at  the  Havana  ;  for  which  place  I  sail 
to-morrow,"  he  answered. 

"  So  does  Captain  Hawk  of  the  Foam,"  I  ob 
served.  "  I  have  just  shipped  on  board  her." 

"  Youngster,"  he  said,  looking  grave,  "  you  dc 
not  know  the  character  of  that  vessel,  I  am  sure, 
or  you  would  not  willingly  get  foot  on  her  deck. 
She  is  a  noted  slaver,  if  not  something  worse  ;  and, 
as  you  put  confidence  in  me,  I  will  return  the  com- 
pliment, and  would  strongly  advise  you  to  have 
nothing  to  do  with  her." 

"  But  I  have  engaged  to  sail  with  Captain  Hawk  ; 
and  he  seems  a  fair-spoken  man,"  I  urged. 

"  If  you  choose  to  trust  to  his  fair  speeches,  more 
than  to  my  blunt  warnings.  I  cannot  help  it,"  he 
answered.  * "  I  have  done  my  b^st  to  open  your  eyes 
for  you  to  his  true  charactei.  If  you  persist  in 
following  your  own  council,  you  will  soon  have  to 
open  them  yourself  very  wide,  when  it  is  too  late." 

I  liked  the  tone  of  the  master's  voice,  as  well  as 
the  expression  of  his  countenance,  and  I  therefore 
felt  inclined  to  believe  him  ;  at  the  same  time,  I 
did  not  like  to  be  moved,  as  it  were,  from  my  pur- 
pose by  every  breath  of  wind. 

"I  promised  to  sail  with  Captain  Hawk,  or  what- 
ever may  be  his  name  ;  and  though  I  cannot  doubt 
but  that  you  have  good  reason  for  what  you  say, 
sir,  yet  I  don't  like  to  desert  him,  without  som* 
proof  that  he  is  the  character  you  describe  him, 
I  replied. 

"  Did  he  tell  you  what  trade  he  is  in  ?"  aske  J 
the  captain. 

"  No,  sir,"  I  replied  ;  "  he  said  nothing  about  it.' 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       109 

'•Then  be  guided  by  me,  youngster,  and  don'* 
ship  with  him,"  he  said,  speaking  most  earnestly 
'•  You  may  make  every  inquiry  about  my  brig — the 
Susannah.  Captain  Samuel  Searle.  You  will  find 
all  is  clear  and  above  board  with  me.  I  want 
hands,  I  own,  and  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you ; 
but  that  does  not  influence  me  in  what  I  say." 

The  shopkeeper  corroborated  all  Captain  Searle 
had  told  me,  and  added  so  many  other  stories  of 
the  character  of  Captain  Hawk  and  his  schooner, 
that  I  felt  truly  glad  there  was  yet  time  to  escape 
from  him.  Bad  as  he  might  be,  there  was  some- 
thing in  his  manner  which  made  me  wish  not  to 
desert  him  altogether,  without  offering  him  some 
excuse  for  my  conduct.  I  accordingly,  leaving  my 
bundle  in  the  shop,  went  back  to  the  quay,  where  I 
found  him  lounging  as  before.  He  at  first  did  not 
know  me  in  my  change  of  dress,  when  I  accosted 
him. 

"  You  are  a  likely  lad  for  a  sailor,"  he  remarked, 
as  he  ran  his  eye  over  me  approvingly. 

"  I  am  glad  you  think  so,"  I  answered  ;  and  I 
then  told  him  I  had  met  the  master  of  a  vessel 
whom  I  had  known  in  Liverpool,  and  that  I  wished 
to  sail  with  him. 

"  And  he  has  been  telling  you  that  I  am  a  sla- 
ver, I  suppose,  or  something  worse,  eh  ?"  he  ex- 
claimed in  a  sneering  tone,  and  with  an  angry  flash 
of  the  eye  I  did  not  like.  I  looked  conscious,  I 
suppose  ;  for  he  continued,  "  And  you  believed 
him,  and  were  afraid  to  sail  with  so  desperate  a 
character,  eh  ?  Well,  lad,  go  your  own  ways  ;  1 
don't  want  to  lead  you ;  but  I  know  of  whom  you 
speak,  for  I  saw  him  go  into  the  shop  where  you 
have  been,  and  tell  him  to  look  out  for  himself, 
tha.Cs  all'''1  Saying  this,  he  turned  on  his  heel, 
and  I  went  back  to  the  shop. 


J10  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

I  told  Captain  Searle  what  Captain  Hawk  had 
said. 

"That  does  not  matter,"  he  answered,  ''lie 
cannot  do  me  nore  harm  than  he  already  seeks  to 
do  ;  so  I  do  not  fear  him." 

I  was  now  pretty  well  convinced  of  the  honestv 
of  Captain  Searle  •;  but  to  assure  myself  still  fur 
ther,  I  called  on  two  or  three  ship-brokers,  who  all 
assured  me  that  his  ship  was  a  regular  trader,  and 
gave  a  favorable  report  of  him.  When  I  inquired 
about  Captain  Hawk,  they  screwed  up  their  mouths, 
or  made  some  other  sign  expressive  of  disappro- 
bation, but  were  evidently  unwilling  to  say  any- 
thing about  him.  In  the  evening  I  went  on  board 
the  Susannah  ;  and,  I  must  say,  that  I  was  very 
glad  to  find  myself  once  more  afloat. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Sail  for  the  Havana. — Captain  Hawk  keeps  his  promise. — A 
Surprise.— I  find  that  a  Romantic  Pirate  and  a  Real  Pirate 
are  very  different  Persons. — Am  taken  Prisoner. — And  losfl 
sight  of  the  Susannah. 

THE  Susannah  was  a  fine  brig,  of  about  three 
hundred  tons  burden.  She  had  a  raised  poop,  but 
no  top-gallant  forecastle,  so  the  crew  were  berthed 
in  the  fore-peak,  in  the  very  nose,  as  it  were,  of 
the  vessel.  I  had  engaged  to  serve  as  a  boy  before 
the  mast.  Indeed,  perfectly  unknown  as  I  was, 
with  slight  pretentions  to  a  knowledge  of  seaman- 
ship, I  could  not  hope  to  obtain  any  other  berth. 

The  crew  were  composed  of  about  equal  numbers 
of  Americans,  that  is  citizens  of  the  United  States, 
and  of  Englishmen,  with  two  blacks  and  a  mulatto, 
a  Spaniard,  and  a  Portuguese.  The  first  officer 


HIS    EAttLY    LIFE    AND    ADVEN'URES.       Ill 

Mr.  Dobree,  was  a  great  dandy,  and  evidently  con- 
sidered himself  much  too  good  for  his  post ;  while 
the  second  mate,  Mr.  Jones,  was  a  rough  and  ready 
seamen,  thoroughly  up  to  his  work. 

I  was  welcomed  by  my  new  shipmates  in  the  fore- 
peak  with  many  rough,  but  no  unkind  jokes  ;  and 
as  I  had  many  stories  to  tell  of  my  adventures  in 
the  backwoods,  before  we  turned  in  for  the  night,  I 
had  made  myself  quite  at  home  with  them. 

At  daybreak,  on  the  next  morning,  all  hands 
were  roused  out  to  weigh  anchor.  The  second 
mate's  rough  voice  had  scarcely  done  sounding  in 
my  ear,  before  I  was  on  deck,  and  with  the  rest 
was  running  round  between  the  capstan-bars. 
"  Loose  the  topsails,"  next  sung  out  the  captain.  I 
sprung  aloft  to  aid  in  executing  the  order.  Though 
a  young  seaman  may  not  have  knowledge,  he  may, 
at  all  events,  exhibit  activity  in  obeying  orders,  and 
thus  gain  his  superior's  approbation.  The  anchor 
was  quickly  run  up  to  the  bows,  the  topsails  were 
sheeted  home,  and  with  a  light  breeze  from  the 
northward,  we  stood  towards  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi. 

As  we  passed  close  to  the  spot  where,  on  the 
previous  day,  the  Foam  lay  at  anchor,  I  looked  for 
her.  She  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  She  must  have 
got  under  weigh,  and  put  to  sea  at  night.  "  She's 
gone,  Peter,  you  observe,"  remarked  Captain  Searle, 
as  some  piece  of  duty  called  me  near  him ;  "  I 
am  glad  you  are  not  on  board  her ;  and  I  hope 
neither  you  nor  I  may  ever  fall  in  with  her  again." 

From  New  Orleans  to  Belize,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi,  is  about  one  hundred  miles,  and 
this  distance,  with  the  aid  of  the  current  and  a 
favorable  breeze,  we  accomplished  by  dusk,  when 
we  prepare  1  once  more  to  breast  old  ocean's  waves. 
These  last  hundred  miles  of  the  father  of  rivers 


PETER    THE    WHALER, 


were  very  uninteresting,  the  banks  Deing  low, 
Bvrampy,  and  dismal  in  the  extreme,  pregnant  with 
ague  and  fevers.  Although  I  rejoiced  to  be  on  the 
free  ocean,  I  yet  could  scarcely  help  feeling  regret 
at  leaving,  probably  forever,  the  noble  stream  ou 
whose  bosom  I  had  so  long  floated — on  whose  swell- 
ing and  forest-shaded  banks  I  had  travelled  so 
far— whom  I  had  seen  in  its  infancy,  if  an  infant  it 
may  ever  be  considered,  in  its  proud  manhood,  and 
now  at  the  termination  of  its  mighty  course. 

These  thoughts  quickly  vanished,  however,  as  I  felt 
the  lively  vessel  lift  to  the  swelling  wave,  and  smelt 
the  salt  pure  breeze  from  off  the  sea.  Though  the 
sea-breeze  was^very  reviving  after  the  hot ''pesti- 
lential air  of  New  Orleans,  yet  as  it  came  directly 
in  our  teeth,  our  captain  wished  it  from  some  other 
quarter.  We  were  enabled,  however,  to  work  off 
the  shore,  and  as  during  the  night  the  land-breeze 
came  pretty  strong,  by  day-break,  the  next  morning, 
we  were  fairly  at  sea. 

Before  the  sun  had  got  up  the  wind  had  gone 
down,  and  it  soon  became  what  seamen  call  a  flat 
calm.  The  sea,  as  the  hot  rays  of  the  sun  shone  on 
it,  was,  as  it  were,  like  molten  lead — the  sails  flapped 
lazily  against  the  masts — the  brig's  sides,  as  she 
every  now  and  then  gave  an  unwilling  roll,  threw 
off  with  a  loud  splash  the  bright  drops  of  water 
which  they  lapped  up  from  the  imperceptibly  heav- 
ing bosom  of  the  deep.  The  hot  sun  struck  down 
on  our  heads  with  terrific  force,  while  the  pitch 
bubbled  up  out  of  the  seams  of  the  deck  ;  and  Bill 
Tasker,  the  wit  of  the  crew,  declared  he  could  hear 
it  squeak  into  the  bargain.  An  awning  was  spread 
over  the  deck  in  some  way  to  shelter  us,  or  we 
should  have  been  roasted  alive.  Bill,  to  prove  the 
excess  of  the  heat,  fried  a  slice  of  salt  junk  on  a 
oiece  of  tin,  and  peppering  it  well,  declared  it  was 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       113 

ielicious.  The  only  person  who  seemed  not  only 
aot  to  suffer  from  the  heat,  but  to  enjoy  it,  was  the 
black  cook,  and  he,  while  not  employed  in  his  culi- 
nary operations,  spent  the  best  part  of  the  day 
basking  on  the  bowsprit-end. 

The  crew  were  engaged  in  their  usual  occupations 
of  knotting  yarns,  making  sinnet,  etc.,  while  the 
aforesaid  Bill  Tasker  was  instructing  me — for  whom 
he  had  taken  an  especial  fancy — in  the  mysteries 
of  knotting  and  splicing  ;  but  we  all  of  us,  in  spite 
of  ourselves,  went  about  our  work  in  a  listless,  care- 
less way,  nor  had  the  officers  even  sufficient  energy 
to  make  us  more  lively.  Certainly  it  was  hot. 
There  had  been  no  sail  in  sight  that  1  know  of  all 
the  day,  when,  as  I  by  chance  happened  to  cast  my 
eyes  over  the  bulwarks,  they  fell  on  the  topsails  of 
a  schooner,  just  rising  above  the  line  of  the  horizon. 

"  A  sail  on  the  starboard  bow !"  I  sung  out  to 
the  man  who  was  nominally  keeping  a  look-out 
forward.  He  reported  the  same  to  the  first  mate. 

"  Where  away  is  she  ?"  I  heard  the  captain  in- 
quire, as  he  came  directly  afterwards  on  deck. 

"  To  the  southward,  sir  ;  she  seems  to  be  creep- 
ing up  towards  us  with  a  breeze  of  some  sort  or 
other,"  answered  Mr.  Dobree.  "  Here,  lad,"  he  con- 
tinued, beckoning  to  me,  "  go  aloft,  and  see  what 
you  can  make  of  her ;  your  eyes  are  as  sharp  aa 
any  on  board,  if  I  mistake  not,  a.nd  a  little  running 
will  do  you  no  harm." 

I  was  soon  at  the  mast  head,  and  in  two  minutes 
returned  and  reported  her  to  be  a  large  top-sail 
schooner,  heading  north-east  with  the  wind  about 
south-east. 

"  I  can't  help  thinking,  sir,  from  her  look,  that 
this  is  the  same  craft  that  was  lying  off  New  Orleans 
two  days  ago,"  I  added,  touching  my  hat  to  the  cap- 
tain. I  don't  remember  exactly  what  made  me  sup- 
J* 


114  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

pose  this ;  but  such  I  know  was  iny  idea  at  tne 
time. 

"  What,  your  friend  Captain  Hawk's  craft,  the 
Foam,  you  "mean,  I  suppose,"  he  observed.  "  But 
how  can  that  be  ?  She  was  bound  to  the  Havana, 
and  this  vessel  is  standing  away  from  it." 

"  I  can't  say  positively,  sir ;  but  if  you  would 
take  the  glass  and  have  a  look  at  her,  I  don't  think 
you  would  say  she  is  very  unlike  her,  at  all  events," 
I  replied. 

"  It's  very  extraordinary,  if  such  is  the  case," 
said  the  captain,  looking  rather  more  as  if  he 
thought  I  might  be  right  than  before. 

"  (jive  me  the  glass,  and  I'll  judge  for  myself; 
though  it's  impossible  to  say  for  a  certainty  what 
she  may  be  at  this  distance."  Saying  this  he  took 
the  telescope,  and,  in  spite  of  the  heat,  went  aloft. 

When  he  came  down  again  I  observed  that  he 
looked  graver  than  usual.  He  instantly  gave  orders 
to  furl  the  awning,  and  to  be  ready  to  make  sail  as 
soon  as  the  breeze  should  reach  us.  "  The  young- 
ster is  right,  Mr.  Dobree,"  he  said,  turning  to  the 
mate,  and  probably  not  aware  that  I  overheard  him. 

"  It's  that  picarooning  craft,  the  Foam ;  and  Mr. 
Hawk,  as  he  calls  himself,  is  after  some  of  his  old 
tricks.  I  had  my  suspicions  of  him  when  I  saw 
him  off  New  Orleans ;  but  I  did  not  think  he  would 
venture  to  attack  us." 

"  He's  bold  enough  to  attack  any  one,  sir,"  said 
the  mate ;  "but  we  flatter  ourselves  that  we  shall  be 
&ble  to  give  a  very  good  account  of  him,  if  he  begins 
to  play  off  any  of  his  tricks  on  us." 

"  We'll  do  our  best,  Mr.  Dobree,"  said  the  cap- 
tain. "  For  if  we  do  not,  we  shall  have  but  a  Flem- 
ish account  to  render  of  our  cargo,  let  alone  our 
lives." 

I  do  not  know  if  I  before  stated,  that  the  Susan- 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENT  I  It KS.        115 

tiah  carried  four  guns — two  long  and  two  curre- 
ncies :  and  as  we  had  a  supply  of  small  arms  and 
Cutlasses,  we  were  tolerably  able  to  defend  ourselves. 

The  captain  walked  the  deck  for  some  time  in 
silence,  during  which  period  the  stranger  hacl  per- 
ceptibly approached  to  us.  He  then  again  went 
aloft,  and  scrutinized  her  attentively.  On  coming 
down  he  stopped  at  the  break  of  the  poop,  and, 
waving  his  hand,  let  us  know  that  he  wished  to  ad- 
dress us.  "  My  lads,"  he  began,  "  I  don't  altogether 
like  the  look  of  that  fellow  out  yonder,  who  has 
been  taking  so  much  pains  to  get  up  to  us.  He 
may  be  honest ;  but  I  tell  you  I  don't  think  so : 
and  if  he  attempts  to  molest  us,  I'm  sure  you'll  one 
and  all  do  your  duty  in  defending  the  brig  and  the 
property  on  board  her  entrusted  to  you.  I  need  not 
tell  you  that  pirates  generally  trust  to  the  saying, 
that  dead  men  tell  no  tales  ;  and  that,  if  that  fellow 
is  one,  and  gets  the  better  of  us,  our  lives  won't  be 
worth  much  to  any  of  us." 

"  Don't  fear  for  us,  sir ;  we're  ready  for  him, 
whatever  he  may  be,"  sung  out  the  whole  crew 
with  one  voice. 

The  stranger  brought  along  the  breeze  with  him, 
but  as  yet  our  sails  had  not  felt  a  particle  of  its  in- 
fluence. At  length,  when  he  was  little  more  than 
a  mile  off,  a  few  cats'-paws  were  seen  playing  on 
the  water ;  they  came,  and  vanished  again  as  rapidly, 
and  the  sea  was  as  smooth  as  before.  In  time  they 
came  oftener  and  with  more  power ;  and  at  length 
our  topsails  and  top-gallant  sails  were  seen  slowly 
to  bulge  out  as  the  steadier  breeze  filled  them. 

The  wind  came,  as  I  have  said,  from  the  south- 
east, which  was  directly  in  our  teeth  in  our  proper 
course  to  the  Havana.  The  stranger  had  thus  the 
weather -gauge  of  us  ;  and  a  glance  at  the  map  will 
that  we  were  completely  embayed,  as  had  we 


116  PETER    1'HE    WHALER, 

"tood  to  the  eastward  we  should  have  run  3n  the 
Florida  coast,  while  on  the  other  tack  we  must  have 
run  right  clown  to  meet  him.  "We  might  possibly 
reach  some  port ;  but  the  probabilities  were,  that 
lie  would  overtake  us  before  Ave  could  do  so ;  and 
the  appearance  of  fear  would  encourage  him  to  fol- 
low us.  We  had,  therefore,  only  the  choice  of  run- 
ning back  to  Belize,  or  of  fighting  our  way  onward. 
Captain  Scarle  decided  on  the  latter  alternative  ; 
and  bracing  the  yards  sharply  up  on  the  starboard 
tack,  we  stood  to  the  eastward,  intending,  whatever 
course  the  stranger  pursued,  to  go  about  again  at 
the  proper  time. 

The  schooner,  on  seeing  this,  also  closely  hugged 
the  wind  and  stood  after  us.  There  could  now  be 
.no  longer  any  doubt  about  his  intentions  ;  we,  how- 
ever, showed  the  stars  and  stripes  of  the  United 
States,  but  he  hoisted  no  ensign  in  return.  It  was 
soon  very  evident  that  he  sailed  faster  than  we  did, 
and  he  was  then  rapidly  coming  within  range  of  our 
guns.  Our  captain  ordered  us,  however,  on  no  ac- 
count to  fire,  unless  we  were  struck,  as  he  was  un- 
wi.ling  to  sacrifice  the  lives  of  any  one  unnecessa- 
rPy,  even  of  our  enemies. 

Every  stitch  of  canvass  the  brig  could  carry  was 
cracked  on  her:  all  would  not  do.  The  stranger 
walked  up  to  us  hand  over  hand.  Seeing  that  there 
was  not  the  slightest  chance  of  escaping  by  flight, 
Captain  Scarle  ordered  the  foresail  and  top-gallant 
sails  to  be  clewed  up,  and,  under  our  topsails  and 
fore  and  aft  sails,  resolved  to  wait  the  coming  up  of 
the  enemy,  if  such  the  stranger  might  prove. 

On  came  the  schooner,  without  firing  or  showing 
any  unfriendly  disposition.  As  she  drew  near,  I 
felt  more  and  more  convinced  that  she  must  be  the 
Foam.  She  had  a  peculiarly  long  cut-water  and  a 
rery  strain- lit  sheer,  which,  as  she  came  up  to  wind 


jaiS    EAllLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.        Ill 

waru  of  us  and  presented  nearly  her  broadside,  was 
discernible.  As  she  heeled  over  to  the  now  fresh- 
ening breeze,  I  fancied  that  I  could  even  discern, 
through  the  glass,  Captain  Hawk  walking  the  quar- 
ter-deck. When  she  got  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
to  windward  of  us,  she  hove  to  and  lowered  a  boat, 
into  which  several  people  jumped  and  pulled  towards 
us.  At  the  same  time  up  went  the  Spanish  ensign 
at  her  peak. 

Captain  Searle  looked  puzzled.  "  I  cannot  make 
it  out,  Dobree,"  he  observed.  "  I  still  doubt  if  that 
fellow  is  honest,  and  am  half  inclined  to  make  sail 
again,  and  while  he  bears  down  to  pick  up  his  boat, 
we  may  get  to  windward  of  him." 

"  If  he  isn't  honest  he'll  not  trouble  himself  about 
his  boat,  but  will  try  to  run  alongside  us,  and  let 
her  come  up  when  she  can,"  answered  the  mate. 
"  There  is  no  trusting  to  what  such  craft  as  that 
fellow  may  do." 

"  0,  we'll  take  care  he  does  not  play  off  any  tricks 
upon  us,"  said  the  captain  ;  and  we  waited  the  ap- 
proach of  the  boat. 

As  she  drew  near,  she  was  seen  to  contain  eight 
men.  Four  were  pulling,  one  sat  in  the  bows,  and 
the  other  three  in  the  stern-sheets.  If  they  were 
armed  it  could  not  be  discovered.  When  they  got 
within  hail  the  captain  asked  them  what  they 
wanted  ? 

They  pointed  to  then  mouths  ;  and  one  answered 
in  Spanish.  "  Aqua,  aqua,  por  amor  de  Dios." 

"  They  want  water,  sir,  they  say,"  observed  the 
first  mate,  who  prided  himself  on  his  knowledge  of 
Spanish. 

"  That's  the  reason,  then,  that  they  were  in  such 
a  hurr)  to  speak  us,"  said  the  captain.  "  But  still, 
does  it  not  strike  you  as  odd,  that  a  vessel  should 
be  in  want  of  water  in  these  seas  ?" 


118  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

"  Her  water-butts  might  have  leaked  out,  and 
some  of  these  Spanish  gentry,  sir,  are  very  care- 
less about  taking  enough  water  to  sea,"  replied  the 
mate,  who  was  biassed  by  the  pleasure  he  antici- 
pated of  being  able  to  sport  his  Spanish. 

"  Get  a  water-cask  up  on  deck,  and  we'll  have  it 
ready  to  give  these  fellows,  whatever  they  may  be," 
said  our  humane  captain.  "  Have  some  pannikins 
ready  to  serve  it  out  to  them.  Thirst  is  a  dread- 
ful thing,  and  one  would  not  keep  a  fellow-creature 
in  that  state  a  moment  longer  than  one  could 
help." 

I  do  not  know  what  the  second  mate  thought  of 
the  strangers,  but  I  remember  several  of  the  crew 
saying  that  they  did  not  like  their  looks ;  and  I 
saw  him  place  a  cutlass  close  to  the  gun  nearest 
the  starboard  gangway,  while  he  kept  eyeing  them 
in  no  very  affectionate  manner.  Notwithstanding 
the  heat  of  the  weather,  the  men  in  the  stern-sheets 
wore  cloaks.  On  observing  this,  Bill  Tasker  said 
he  supposed  it  was  to  hide  the  shabby  jackets  they 
wore  under  them.  The  other  men  were  dressed  in 
blue  shirts,  and  their  sleeves  rolled  up  to  the 
shoulder,  with  the  red  sash  usually  worn  by  Span- 
iards round  their  waist,  in  which  was  stuck  the 
deadly  cuchillo,  or  cut-and-thrust  knife,  in  a  sheath, 
carried  by  most  Lusitanian  and  Iberian  seamen,  and 
their  descendants  of  the  new  world. 

They  pulled  up  at  once  alongside,  and  before  any 
one  attempted  to  stop  them  they  had  hooked  on, 
the  man  in  the  bows  climbing  up  on  deck,  followed 
by  his  companions  in  cloaks,  and  two  of  the  sea- 
men. The  other  two  remained  in  the  boats,  point- 
ing at  their  mouths,  as  a  sign  that  they  wanted 
water. 

Seamen,  from  the  sufferings  and  dangers  tc 
which  they  are  exposed,  are  proverbially  kind  t« 


HIS    EARLY   LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      119 

those  in  distress.  Our  men,  therefore,  seemed  to 
vie  with  each  other  who  should  first  hold  the  pan- 
nikins of  water  to  the  mouths  of  the  strangers, 
while  a  tub.  with  the  fluid,  was  also  lowered  into 
the  boat  alongside.  They  eagerly  rushed  at  the 
water,  and  drunk  up  all  that  was  offered  them, 
but  I  could  not  help  remarking,  that  they  did  not 
look  like  men  suffering  from  thirst.  However,  a 
most  extraordinary  effect  was  produced  on  two  of 
them,  for  they  fell  down  on  the  deck,  and  roiled 
about  as  if  in  intense  agony.  This  drew  the  at- 
tention of  all  hands  on  them  |  and  as  we  had  no 
surgeon  on  board,  the  captain  began  to  ransack  his 
medical  knowledge  to  find  remedies  for  them. 

While  he  was  turning  over  the  pages  of  his  me- 
dical guide  to  find  some  similar  case  of  illness 
and  its  remedy  described,  the  schooner  was  edging 
down  towards  us.  As  she  approached,  I  observed 
only  a  few  men  on  board ;  and  they,  as  the  people 
in  the  boat  had  done,  were  pointing  at  their  mouths, 
as  if  they  were  suffering  from  want  of  water.  The 
boat  was  on  the  lee  side. 

I  think  I  said  that  there  were  some  sails,  and 
two  or  three  cloaks  ;  apparently  thrown  by  chance, 
at  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  While  all  hands  were 
engaged  in  attending  to  the  strangers,  and  for  some 
minutes  no  one  had  looked  towards  the  schooner, 
on  a  sudden,  I  heard  a  loud  grating  sound — there 
was  the  wild  triumphant  cry  of  a  hundred  fierce 
voices.  The  seemingly  exhausted  men  leaped  to 
their  feet — the  helmsman  and  our  captain  lay  pros- 
trate by  blows  dealt  by  our  treacherous  foes — the 
second  mate  and  several  of  the  men  were  knocked 
down ;  and,  before  any  of  us  had  time  to  attempt 
even  any  defence  of  the  brig,  a  set  of  desperadoes, 
of  all  colors  and  nations,  were  swarming  down  on 
her  decks,  from  the  rigging  of  the  schooner  ;  while 


120  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

others  who  had  been  concealed  in  the  boats  sprang 
on  board  on  the  lee  side.  Never  was  a  surprise 
more  complete,  or  treachery  more  vile.  In  an  in- 
stan-t,  we  were  helplessly  in  the  power  of  as  law- 
less a  band  of  pirates  as  ever  infested  those  seas. 
The  captain  and  mates  were  first  pinioned — the  men 
were  sharing  the  same  treatment.  I  was  at  the 
time  forward,  when,  on  looking  aft,  who  should  1  see 
but  Captain  Hawk  himself,  walking  the  deck  of 
the  brig,  as  if  he  were  her  rightful  commander. 
He  took  off  his  hat  with  mock  courtesy  to  poor  Cap- 
tain Searle,  as  he  passed  him.  "  Ah  !  my  dear  sir, 
the  fortune  of  war  makes  you  my  prisoner  to-day," 
he  said,  in  a  sneering  tone  ;  "  another  day,  if  my 
people  do  not  insist  on  your  walking  the  plank,  you 
may  hope,  perhaps,  to  have  the  satisfaction  of  be- 
holding me  dangling  at  a  yard-arm.  By-the-bye, 
I  owe  you  this  turn  ;  for  you  shipped  on  board  your 
craft  a  lad  who  had  engaged  to  sail  with  me  ;  and 
I  must  have  him  forthwith  back  again,  with  a  few 
other  articles  of  your  cargo  which  I  happen  to  re- 
quire." As  he  said  this,  his  eye  fell  on  me,  and 
he  beckoned  me  towards  him.  I  saw  that  there 
was  no  use  hanging  back,  so  I  boldly  advanced. 
"  You  are  a  pretty  felloAv  to  desert  your  colors,"  he 
continued,  laughing.  "  You  deserve  to  be  treated 
as  a  deserter — however,  I  will  have  compassion  on 
your  youth,  if  you  will  swear  to  be  faithful  to  me 
in  future." 

"  I  never  joined  your  vessel ;  so  I  am  not  a  de- 
serter. I  cannot  swear  to  serve  a  man  of  whose 
character  I  know  nothing,  except  that  he  has  taken 
forcible  possession  of  a  peaceable  trader."  I  said 
this  without  hesitation,  or  the  least  sign  of  fear. 
The  truth  is,  I  felt  too  desperate  to  allow  myself  to 
consider  what  I  said  or  did. 

"  You  are  a  brave  young  bantam,"  he  answered, 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      121 

laughingly.  "  And  though  all  the  rest  may  hang 
or  walk  the  plank,  we  will  save  you  to  afford  ua 
sport ;  so  set  your  mind  at  rest  on  that  point." 

"  Thank  you  for  my  life ;  for  I've  no  wish  to 
lose  it,  I  can  assure  you,"  I  replied ;  "  but  don't 
suppose  I  am  going  to  spend  it  in  your  service  :  I 
shall  do  my  best  to  get  away  from  you  as  soon  as 
possible." 

"  Then  we  must  tie  you  by  a  lanyard  to  the 
leg,"  he  answered,  without  at  all  appearing  angry, 
"  Here,  Mark  Anthony,"  he  beckoned  to  a  tall  ill- 
looking  black  who  had  been  busy  in  securing  the 
rest  of  the  crew,  "  take  charge  of  this  youngster, 
and  render  an  account  of  him  to  me  by-and-by  with- 
out a  hair  of  his  head  injured,  mind  you." 

"  Yes,  sare,"  said  the  Roman  general,  who  I  after- 
wards found  was  a  runaway  slave  from  Kentucky. 
"  I'll  not  singe  his  whiskers  even.  Come  here, 
Massa."  And,  seizing  me  by  the  shoulder,  he  drag- 
ged me  forward  away  from  the  rest  of  the  people. 
"  What's  your  name  ?"  asked  my  black  keeper  as 
lie  made  me  sit  down  on  the  bits  of  the  bowsprit. 

"  Peter,  at  your  service,  Mr.  Mark  Anthony," 
said  I,  in  as  fearless  a  voice  as  I  could  command ; 
for  having  once  taken  a  line  of  conduct  which 
seemed  to  answer  well,  I  determined  to  persevere 
in  it. 

"  Den,  Massa  Peter,  you  sit  dere  quiet,"  he  said, 
with  a  grin.  "  I  no  break  your  skull,  because  Cap- 
tain Hawk  break  mine,  if  I  do.  I  no  let  anybody 
else  hurt  you  for  same  reason." 

From  his  look  and  voice,  I  certainly  did  not  flat 
ter  myself  that  he  refrained  from  throwing  me 
overboard  from  any  love  he  bore  me ;  but  on  the 
contrary,  that  he  would  have  been  much  more 
gratefully  employed  in  making  me  walk  the  plank 
or  in  tricing  me  up  to  the  fore-yard. 

11    K 


122  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

Meantime  the  pirates  were  busily  employed  in 
ransacking  the  vessel,  and  in  transferring  every- 
thing of  value  to  them,  which  they  could  find,  from 
her  to  their  own  schooner.  The  captain  and  mates 
were  threatened  with  instant  death,  if  they  did 
not  deliver  up  all  the  money  they  had  on  board  ; 
and  even  the  crew  were  compelled  to  hand  over  to 
our  captors  the  small  sums  they  possessed.  To 
make  them  do  this  they  were  knocked  about  and 
beaten  unmercifully,  and  even  those  who  possessed 
watches  and  rings,  were  deprived  of  them  as  well 
as  of  any  clothes  which  appeared  worth  taking. 

I  had  often  read  the  history  of  pirates  and  of 
their  bold  exploits,  till  I  almost  fancied  that  I 
should  like  to  become  one,  or  at  all  events,  that  I 
should  like  to  encounter  them  ;  but  I  can  assure 
my  friends  that  the  reality  was  very  different  to 
the  fiction,  and  as  the  hideous  black  was  standing 
over  me,  ready  every  moment  to  knock  out  my 
brains,  and  my  companions  were  suffering  all  sorts 
of  ill  treatment,  I  most  heartily  wished  that  such 
gentry  as  pirates  had  not  been  allowed  to  exist. 

Though  I  tried  to  look  as  indifferent  as  possible, 
the  black  would  have  observed  me  trembling,  had 
he  not  been  watching  to  see  what  his  friends  were 
about,  no  doubt  eager  to  obtain  his  share  of  the 
plunder.  The  work  the  pirates  were  engaged  in, 
went  on  for  some  time  till  even  they  had  tolerably 
satiated  their  eagerness  for  booty,  and  I  then  fully 
expected  to  see  them  either  heave  my  shipmates 
overboard  as  food  for  the  sharks  alongside,  or  hang 
them  at  the  yard-arms,  and  then  set  the  ship  on 
fire,  as  Mark  Anthony  insinuated,  for  my  satisfac- 
tion, that  they  would  do.  Instead  of  this,  to  my 
surprise,  Captain  Hawk  went  up  to  Captain  Searle, 
and  said.  "  I  sent  a  message  by  that  youngster 
thore  to  you  to  look  out  for  yourself,  and  I  never 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       123 

threaten  in  vain.  He  goes  with  me.  I  want  a 
good  navigator  5  and  as  your  second  mate  seems  a 
likely  sort  of  person,  I  shall  take  him  also.  The 
rest  of  you  may  go  free  ;  but  remember,  that  if 
any  of  you  attempt  to  betray  me,  or  to  appear  as 
witnesses  against  me,  you  will  pay  dearly  for  it." 

Our  poor  captain,  who  was  almost  ruined  and 
heart-broken  by  the  pillage  of  his  ship,  said  no- 
thing, but  bowed  his  head  on  his  breast,  looking  as 
if  he  would  as  soon  have  been  killed  outright.  The 
unfortunate  mate,  Abraham  Jones,  seemed  horrified 
at  hearing  what  his  fate  was  to  be ;  but  he  knew 
enough  about  the  pirates  to  be  aware  that  it  would 
have  been  worse  than  useless  to  attempt  to  escape 
accompanying  them.  He,  however,  took  the  pre- 
caution of  calling  on  the  crew  of  the  Susannah  to 
bear  witness,  that  he  was  compelled  through  bodily 
fear  and  by  force  to  join  the  pirates  ;  and  he  made 
the  best  show  of  resistance  that  under  the  circum- 
stances he  could  venture  to  do. 

From  what  I  saw  of  him,  I  do  not  think  that  he 
had  so  great  an  objection  to  joining  them  as  some 
men  might  have  had.  Indeed,  I  confess  that  I  was 
very  wrong  in  doing  so  ;  and  I  feel  that  a  person 
ought  rather  to  sacrifice  his  life  than  consent  to 
commit  a  crime,  even  though  driven  to  it  with  a 
dagger  at  his  throat.  However,  both  Jones  and  I 
fancied  that  the  only  chance  of  saving  our  own 
lives,  and  those  of  our  shipmates,  was  by  :ur  going 
on  board  the  schooner. 

"  Remember,  Captain  Searle,  if  we  get  into  any 
misfortune  through  you,  these  two  will  be  the  first 
to  suffer  ;  and,  then  again,  I  say.  look  out  for  your- 
self;" exclaimed  the  chief  pirate,  as  he  quitted  th« 
deck  of  the  Susannah. 

His  people  then  hove  her  guns  overboard,  and 
removed  the  small  arms  on  board  their  own  craft 


124  PF.TKR    THE    WHALER, 

to  which  tl;c  luute  and  I  were  also  transferred 
They  also  cut  the  standing  and  running  rigging, 
which  would  effectually  prevent  her  from  making 
sail  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

The  first  mate  was  next  released,  and  was  or- 
dered to  stand  on  the  poop,  on  pain  of  being  shot 
down  if  he  attempted  to  move  while  the  schooner 
was  near.  Her  boat  was  then  hoisted  in,  she  was 
cast  off  from  the  brig,  and  with  a  cheer  of  triumph 
from  her  crew,  she  stood  away  from  the  Susannah. 

The  first  mate  wisely  did  as  he  was  ordered,  and 
it  was  not  till  we  had  got  to  such  a  distance,  that 
there  was  little  fear  of  his  being  hit,  that  I  saw 
him  jump  down  to  release  his  companions.  It  was 
with  a  sense  of  misery  and  degradation  I  had 
never  before  experienced,  that  1  watched  till  we 
lost  sight  of  the  unfortunate  Susannah. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

Life  on  board  the  Rover. — Indulge  in  the  pleasing  reflection 
that  I  may  possibly  hang  as  a  Pirate. — I  try  to  escape. — Wo 
chase. — We  catch  a  Tartar. — Mark  Anthony  tries  to  induce 
me  to  turn  Pirate. — We  are  chased. — A  considerable  difference 
in  the  sensation. 

A  WEEK  passed  away  on  board  the  Foam — 
whereabouts  we  were,  I  had  no  means  of  telling ; 
for  the  captain  kept  me  in  his  cabin,  and  would  not 
allow  me  to  go  on  deck  without  first  asking  his 
leave,  nor  would  he  permit  me  to  communicate  with 
Mr.  Jones.  He  treated  me  very  kindly,  and  even 
gave  me  books  with  which  to  amuse  myself;  but  I 
was  very  far  from  happy.  I  felt  that  the  schooner 
might  some  day  be  captured  by  a  ship  of  war,  and 
r,hat  I  might  probably  be  hung  as  a  pirate  before  ] 


HIS    EARLY    LIF.i    AND    AD  VENTURES.       125 

had  an  opportunity  of  establishing  my  innocence. 
I  also  did  not  like  to  be  a  prisoner,  even  though  I 
was  kindly  treated  ;  and  I  thought  that,  most  prob- 
ably, when  Hawk  found  I  would  not  join  in  any 
piratical  acts,  and  I  had  resolved  that  nothing 
should  compel  me  to  do  so,  his  behavior  would 
change  ;  and  that  if  I  escaped  with  my  life,  I  should 
no  longer  be  treated  as  before. 

Abraham  Jones  had,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  as  far 
as  I  was  able  to  judge  from  appearances,  taken 
readily  enough  to  the  office  imposed  on  him,  and  on 
two  occasions  when  I  went  on  deck,  I  saw  him  doing 
duty  as  the  officer  of  the  watch.  My  opinion  of 
him  was,  that  he  would  not  have  sought  to  become 
a  pirate ;  but  that  having  no  nice  sense  of  right 
and  wrong — finding  himself  thrust,  as  it  were,  into 
the  life — he  did  not  think  it  worth  making  any 
exertion  to  escape  from  it. 

Whether  we  went  to  Havana,  or  not,  I  did  not 
know.  We  certainly  were  once  at  anchor,  and 
three  times  we  either  chased  vessels,  or  were 
chased  by  a  superior  force,  from  the  eager  tone  in 
which  the  captain  ordered  sail  to  be  made.  Once 
we  fired  several  shots,  and  were  fired  at  in  return  j 
and  I  suspect  it  must  have  been  at  some  vessel  on 
our  beam  chasing  us,  and  that  some  of  her  rigging 
or  her  masts  must  have  been  cut  away,  from  the 
loud  cheers  the  pirates  gave.  Perhaps  they  sunk 
the  enemy. 

An  hour  afterwards,  Hawk  came  down  into  the 
cabin,  looking  as  cool  and  unconcerned  as  if  no- 
thing had  happened.  I  tried  to  gain  some  informa 
tion  from  him  ;  but  he  would  answer  none  of  my 
questions.  He  only  gave  a  ghastly  smile,  when  I 
asked  if  the  vessel  at  which  he  had  fired  had  sunk  ; 
and  he  then  took  up  a  book,  in  which  he  soon 
seemed  to  be  deeply  absorbed.  After  some  time 
K» 


126  PETER    THE     tVHALEK, 

the  book  dropped  from  his  hand,  and  he  sat  for  half 
an  hour  in  a  state  of  abstraction,  unconscious  of 
where  he  was,  or  who  was  present. 

He  was  roused  by  the  black,  Mark  Anthony, 
putting  his  head  in  at  the  door,  and  saying,  "  A 
sail  on  the  lee  bow." 

He  sprang  on  deck  in  a  moment,  all  life  and  ac- 
tivity. Instantly  all  sail  the  schooner  could  carry 
was  packed  on  her,  and  we  were  bowling  along  with 
a  fine  breeze  in  chase  of  the  stranger.  This  I 
could  only  surmise,  however,  by  the  way  the  ves- 
sel heeled  over  to  the  breeze,  for  I  was  still  kept 
in  the  cabin. 

Presently  Hawk  came  down  again.  "  Peter," 
he  observed,  "  you  have  disappointed  me  ;  I  thought 
you  would  not  be  content  to  lead  the  idle  life  you 
do  ;  I  fancied  you  would  like  the  excitement  of  the 
chase  and  the  fight  better  than  sitting  alone  in  the 
cabin  all  day,  like  a  young  girl." 

"  I  am  not  content,  Captain  Hawk,"  I  replied ; 
"  but  a  prisoner  has  no  choice." 

"  No  one  is  allowed  freedom  on  board  here,  unless 
he  has  taken  the  oaths  of  allegiance  to  the  captain 
and  our  laws,"  he  answered,  looking  steadfastly  at 
me. 

"  Nothing  could  induce  me  to  take  one  or  the 
other,"  I  exclaimed  ;  "  so  I  suppose  I  shall  remain 
a  prisoner  till  you  release  me,  or  I  die." 

He  seemed  to  take  my  answer  very  calmly  ;  and 
this  encouraged  me  to  proceed,  and  to  make  an  ef- 
fort to  obtain  my  freedom. 

"  Captain  Hawk,"  I  said,  "  you  have  been  very 
kind  to  me  ;  and  though  I  should  have  been  will- 
ing to  sail  with  you,  before  I  knew  the  character 
of  your  vessel,  I  am  now  most  anxious  to  be  put  on 
sheie  ;  and,  if  you  will  liberate  me,  I  will  swear 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       127 

most  solemnly  not  to  betray  you,  or  any  of  those 
who  sail  with  you." 

"  We  do  not  trust  to  the  oaths  of  those  who  do 
not  join  us,"  he  answered.  "  For  your  own  sake, 
I  must  make  you  take  part  in  the  next  capture  we 
attempt,  or  else  my  people  will  begin  to  suspect 
that  you  are  a  mere  coward,  and  even  I  shall  be 
unable  to  protect  you." 

"  I  am  no  coward,  Captain  Hawk,  and  that  I 
will  prove  any  time  that  I  have  an  opportunity ; 
but  I  do  not  choose  to  commit  murder  or  robbery," 
I  answered,  in  the  same  bold  tone  in  which  I  usu- 
ally spoke. 

"  You  use  harsh  terms,  youngster,  to  one  who 
could  any  moment  order  you  to  be  hove  to  the 
sharks,"  exclaimed  the  pirate.  "  However,  I  do 
not  quarrel  with  you  for  speaking  your  mind ;  1 
once  thought  as  you  do,  but  custom  has  altered  my 
ideas." 

"  Then  why  do  you  wish  me  to  do  what  you  know 
I  must  consider  wrong  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Because  I  have  a  liking  for  you,  and  want  a 
lad  of  spirit  and  education  to  be  my  companion,'' 
he  replied.  "  The  old  hands  I  cannot  trust — they 
are  as  likely  to  turn  against  me  as  to  serve  me, 
while  you,  I  know,  will  be  faithful  for  a  while,  till 
you  get  hardened  like  the  rest,  and  then" 

"  And  then,"  interrupting  him,  I  said,  "  what 
would  you  do  with  me  ?  Give  me  as  food  for  the 
sharks,  I  suppose  ?" 

"  No,  lad,  I  should  let  you  live  to  fight  your  own 
way  in  the  world,  with  a  charge  to  keep  out  of  my 
path,"  he  replied.  "  But  that  is  not  what  I  wanted 
to  talk  to  you  about.  You  must  come  on  deck,  and 
join  in  capturing  the  vessel  we  are  in  chase  of,  for 
we  think  she  is  likely  to  prove  a  prize  of  value." 

I  am  sorry  to  say,  that  so  heartily  tired  was  1 


128  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

of  remaining  shut  up  in  the  cabin,  that  I  waa  glad 
of  being  allowed,  on  any  terms,  to  see  what  was 
going  forward  on  deck. 

On  this,  I  suspect,  the  pirate  had  calculated, 
lie  well  knew  the  force  of  the  French  proverb,  "  It 
is  but  the  first  step  to  crime  which  is  difficult.'* 
He  wished  me  to  take  that  first  step,  being  assured 
that  I  should  then  be  his. 

I  thought,  when  I  went  on  deck,  that  nothing 
would  tempt  me  to  take  any  part  in  the  acts  of  the 
pirates,  even  as  far  as  in  assisting  to  navigate  the 
vessel ;  but  there  is  something  so  exciting  in  the 
chase  of  a  vessel,  that  it  is  difficult  not  to  wish  to 
come  up  with  her.  At  first  I  stood  merely  looking 
on,  but  the  breeze  freshened,  and  rather  headed 
us  ;  and  Hawk  issued  an  order  to  flatten  in  the 
fore-and-aft  sails,  and  to  brace  up  the  yards.  I 
flew  instinctively  to  the  sheets,  and  found  myself 
pulling  and  hauling  with  the  rest. 

The  captain  made  no  remark  ;  nor  did  he  appear 
even  to  notice  what  I  had  done.  The  wind  was 
about  south,  and  the  chase  was  to  the  eastward  of 
us,  standing  on  a  bowline.  She  was  a  brig  of  some 
size  ;  and  at  the  first  glance  I  thought  she  was  a 
man-of-war ;  but  Hawk  pronounced  her  to  be  a 
Spaniard,  and  homeward  bound  from  Cuba.  On 
hearing  this,  of  course  I  knew  that  we  must  be 
somewhere  to  the  eastward  of  that  place,  and  this  was 
the  first  intimation  I  had  had  of  our  whereabouts. 

The  chase  had  not  observed  us,  or  if  he  had. 
seemed  not  to  be  at  all  suspicious  of  our  character , 
for  he  was  standing  on  under  easy  sail,  as  if  in  no 
way  in  a  hurry  to  escape  from  us. 

Hawk,  who  was  usually  so  calm  and  almost 
apathetic,  walked  the  deck  full  of  energy  and  ex- 
sitement.  Every  order  he  gave  was  uttered  in  a 
sharp,  quick  tone,  which  demanded  instant  obedi- 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVKNTURl  S.       129 

ence.  Erery  one  partook  of  the  same  spirit :  and 
there  appeared  to  be  as  much  discipline  and  regu- 
larity as  on  board  a  man-of-war.  Even  the  most 
lawless  vagabonds  find  this  necessary  for  the  at- 
tainment of  their  ends,  and  their  own  preservation. 
We  rapidly  came  up  with  the  chase,  and  were 
within  about  three  miles  of  her,  when  she  began, 
it  seemed,  to  suspect  that  all  was  not  right,  for  sail 
after  sail  was  set  on  her,  till  she  could  carry  no 
more,  while  she  edged  away  a  little  from  her  course, 
so  as  to  allow  every  one  of  them  to  draw  properly. 
This  threw  us  soon  completely  to  the  windward,  for 
we  held  on  the  same  course  as  before  ;  and  she  ap- 

? eared  at  first  to  be  recovering  her  lost  ground, 
n  a  short  time  we  also  kept  away  with  the  wind 
almost  abeam,  a  point  on  which  the  Foam  sailed 
her  best. 

"  Huzza,  my  lads  !"  exclaimed  Hawk,  "  in  a  short 
time  the  chase  will  be  ours  ;  and  if  I  mistake  not, 
plenty  of  gold  doubloons  into  the  bargain,  if  you 
can  but  make  our  craft  walk  along  faster." 

"  Huzza  !"  shouted  the  English  and  American 
part  of  the  crew,  in  which  the  people  of  other  na 
tions  joined  in  their  peculiar  cries. 

The  brig  once  more  hauled  her  wind,  and  this 
brought  us  soon  near  again  to  her. 

Hawk  thought  it  was  because  the  captain  saw 
indications  of  a  shift  of  wind,  and  hoped  to  be 
placed  well  to  windward.  He  was  scrutinising  her 
narrowly  through  a  telescope.  "  She  does  not  show 
any  guns,"  he  remarked  ;  "  but  it  is  no  reason  that 
she  has  not  got  them.  Get  all  ready  for  action,  in 
case  she  should  prove  a  Tartar." 

I  scarcely  knew  what  I  was  about;  but  I  con- 
fess that  I  not  only  assisted  to  hand  up  the  powder 
and  shot,  but  to  load  and  run  out  the  guns. 

Neither  of  us  made  any  further  variation  in  our 


)30  fSTER    THE    WHALER, 

course  ;  but  the  chase  was,  it  appeared,  a  very  slow 
sailer,  for  we  so  rapidly  came  up  with  her,  that 
five  hours  after  she  was  seen,  she  was  within  range 
of  our  guns.  She  did  not  fire,  nor  did  we  ;  for 
supposing  her  to  be  unarmed,  Hawk  was  anxious 
to  capture  her  without  in  anyway  injuring  her  hull 
or  cargo.  We  sailed  on,  therefore,  as  if  we  were 
engaged  in  a  friendly  race  ;  and  no  one.  by  looking 
at  us,  could  have  supposed  that  we  were  deadly 
enemies. 

We  were  getting  very  near  to  the  chase,  and 
with  our  telescopes  could  almost  distinguish  the 
faces  of  those  on  board,  when  I  observed  Abraham 
Jones,  the  new  second  mate  of  the  Foam,  hurry  aft 
to  the  captain  with  a  face  pale  as  a  ghost.  Hawk 
laughed,  and  shook  his  head  incredulously.  Jones 
seemed,  from  his  manner,  to  be  insisting  that  he 
was  right,  for  I  did  not  hear  what  he  said.  Still 
we  stood  on  till  the  chase  was  within  the  distance 
of  half  the  range  of  our  guns.  I  was  again  aft. 
"  Hoist  our  bunting  to  make  him  show  his  colors," 
I  heard  Hawk  say  ;  "  and  give  him  a  shot  from  our 
bow-chaser  to  hutry  him." 

Directly  afterwards,  a  broad  red  flag,  without 
any  device,  was  run  up  at  our  peak,  and  with  a 
spout  of  smoke,  a  shot  went  flying  over  the  water, 
and  with  a  crash  which  made  the  splinters  fly,  it 
struck  the  dark  sides  of  the  brig.  The  effect  was 
instantaneous,  and  such  as  was  little  expected  by 
the  pirates. 

A  flag  was  run  up  to  the  gaff  of  the  brig ;  but 
instead  of  the  Spanish  ensign,  the  stars  and  stripes 
of  the  United  States  were  displayed  :  and  the  ports 
being  opened  as  if  by  magic,  eight  guns  were  run 
out,  and  luffing  up,  she  let  fly  her  broadside  right 
into  our  bows.  The  shot  tore  up  our  decks,  ar.d 
knocked  away  part  of  our  starboard  bulwarks,  kill- 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    All    fcNTURES.       l3J 

ing  two  of  the  people,  and  wounding  three  more 
but  without  injuring  our  rigging.  Then  I  saw  wha\ 
sort  of  men  I  was  mingling  with.  I  cannot  de- 
scribe the  fierce  rage  which  took  possession  of  them ; 
the  oaths  and  execrations  to  which  they  gave  vent. 
The  bodies  of  the  two  men  who  were  killed,  while 
yet  warm,  were  thrown  overboard  directly  they 
were  found  to  be  dead,  and  the  wounded  were  drag- 
ged below,  and  left  without  a  surgeon  or  any  one  to 
attend  on  them.  Instead  of  the  timid  Spanish 
merchantman  we  expected  to  get  alongside,  we 
found  that  this  vessel  was  no  other  than  a  United 
States  man-of-war  sent'  to  look  out  for  the  Foam, 
in  fact,  that  we  had  caught  a  Tartar.  Hawk,  to  do 
him  justice,  stood  undaunted,  his  energies  rising 
with  the  occasion.  Keeping  away  a  little,  so  as  to 
get  our  broadside  to  bear,  we  fired  in  return,  and 
the  guns  being  planted  high,  some  of  the  running 
rigging  was  cut  away,  and  her  foretop-mast  was 
struck,  and  must  have  been  badly  wounded,  for 
some  hands  instantly  were  seen  going  aloft  to 
fish  it. 

"  About  ship,  my  lads — down*  with  the  helm  , 
and  while  she's  in  stays,  give  Uncle  Sam  our  lar- 
board broadside." 

The  sails  of  the  schooner  were  well  full ;  she 
quickly  came  round,  and  before  the  brig  could  fol- 
low our  example,  we  sent  the  shot  from  our  whole 
broadside  flying  among  her  rigging.  A  loud  shout 
of  exultation  from  our  pirate  crew  showed  their 
satisfaction  at  the  damage  they  had  done ;  for  se- 
veral spars  and  sails,  Avith  blocks  and  ropes,  were 
seen  coming  down  by  the  run  on  deck. 

"  Now,  my  lads,  let's  up  stick  and  away,"  cried 
Hawk.  "  They  thought,  doubtless,  that  they  were 
Bure  of  us  ;  but  we'll  show  them  that  the  Foam  ii 
not  to  be  caught  so  easily.'' 


132  PETER    THE    WHALKK, 

All  hands  who  could  be  spared  from  the  guiis 
»,nd  I  among  the  rest,  flew  to  their  stations  to  trim 
Bails  ;  the  yards  were  braced  sharp  up,  and  with  her 
head  to  the  south-west,  the  Foam  stood  away  on  a 
bowline  from  her  powerful  antagonist.  We  were 
not  to  escape,  however,  with  impunity  ;  for  as  soon 
as  the  brig's  crew  had  somewhat  recovered  from 
the  confusion  into  which  the  damage  done  by  our 
shot  had  thrown  them,  such  guns  as  could  be 
brought  to  bear  were  fired  at  us  with  no  had  akn 
One  struck  our  taffrail,  and  another  killed  a  man 
on  the  forecastle  ;  but  our  rigging  escaped.  Twice 
the  brig  missed  stays  in  attempting  to  come  about, 
from  so  much  of  her  head-sail  having  been  cut 
away,  and  this,  as  she  all  the  time  was  sailing  one 
way  and  we  the  other,  contributed  much  to  increase 
our  distance.  The  breeze  also  favored  us  further 
by  freshening,  making  it  more  difficult  to  the  enemy 
to  repair  damages,  while  as  we  were  unhurt,  it  sent 
us  along  all  the  more  rapidly.  The  Americans  are 
not  the  people  to  take  the  treatment  we  had  given 
them  with  calmness,  especially  as  we  were  so  much 
the  smaller,  and  had  less  force.  At  last,  at  a  third 
trial,  the  brig  came  about,  while  she  continued 
without  cessation  firing  at  us.  Not  much  damage 
was  done,  though  our  sails  had  daylight  made 
through  them  several  times  by  her  shot,  and  ano- 
ther man  was  killed  ;  but  this  casualty  the  piratea 
seemed  to  make  light  of:  it  was  the  fortune  of  war, 
and  might  happen  every  instant  to  any  one  of  us. 
The  bodies  with  scant  examination,  except  to  dis- 
cover whether  there  was  money  in  their  pockets, 
or  rings  in  their  ears  or  on  their  fingers,  were 
thrown  overboard  without  a  prayer  or  a  sigh.  As 
the  shot  came  whistling  over  us,  they  laughed 
when  they  saw  me  bobbing  down  my  head  in  the 
hope  of  avoiding  them.  I  had  no  fancy,  I  own,  to 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENT  UKKS.        133 

be  shot  ly  people  with  whom  I  had  not  the  slight- 
est enmity,  nor  whom  I  in  any  way  wished  to  in- 
jure. 

We  soon  found  that  the  brig  of  war,  instead  of 
being  a  slow  sailer,  was  remarkably  fast,  and  that, 
while  we  were  in  chase  of  her,  she  must,  by  tow- 
ing a  sail  overboard,  or  by  some  other  manoeuvre, 
have  deadened  her  way  on  purpose  to  allow  us  to 
come  up  with  her.  We  had  now,  therefore,  to  put  the 
schooner's  best  leg  foremost  to  get  away  from  her, 
even  before  she  had  got  all  her  gear  aloft  again. 
To  try  and  do  her  further  damage  a  gun  was  got 
over  the  taifrail,  and  a  constant  fire  was  kept  up 
from  it  as  fast  as  it  could  be  loaded.  • 

I  was  standing  in  the  waist,  with  the  black  Mark 
Anthony  near  me.  "  Well,  Massa  Peter,  if  de 
brig  catch  we,  we  all  be  hung  ;  how  you  like  dat  ?" 
he  asked,  with  a  broad  grin,  which  made  him  look 
far  from  pleasing. 

"  I  should  be  sorry  to  see  any  of  those  who  have 
treated  me  with  kindness  hung,  or  otherwise  in- 
jured," I  replied. 

"  See,  ha,  ha  !  but  how  you  like  feel  being  hung, 
Massa  Peter  ?"  he  said  again,  grinning  more  hor- 
ribly than  before. 

"  Why,  I  have  no  fear  of  that  sort,  Mr.  Mark,  I 
can  assure  you,"  I  replied  ;  though,  I  confess,  the 
disagreeable  idea  did  come  across  me,  that  I  might 
possibly  not  be  able  to  prove  that  I  was  not  a  pi- 
rate should  we  be  captured.  "  I  have  had  nothing 
to  do  with  any  of  the  acts  committed  by  the  crew 
of  this  vessel." 

"  Ho,  ho,  ho  !"  he  exclaimed,  "  den  you  no  pull 
and  haul,  and  help  work  de  guns,  which  fire  at  de 
sip  of  war  ;  me  swear  me  saw  you  myself.  Ho,  ho, 
ho!" 

The  black's  laughter  sounded  almost  demoniacal 


134  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

in  my  ears  :  he  spoke  the  truth,  too.  1  had,  in 
aeed, 'helped  to  work  the  guns  ;  and  on  the  strength 
of  it,  like  a  tempter  to  evil,  he  was  endeavoring  to 

n-suade  me,  in  his  rough  way,  to  join  the  pirates, 
id  not  think  it  prudent  to  show  him  that  I  clearly 
saw  his  aim  ;  but  I  resolved  still  to  remain  firm. 

The  evening  was  now  drawing  on  ;  and,  fortu- 
nately, the  breeze  did  not  drop.  I  confess  that  1 
was  just  as  anxious  to  escape  from  our  pursuer  as 
any  pirate  on  board ;  scarcely  more  so,  perhaps, 
than  the  new  mate,  who  had  guessed  the  character 
of  the  brig,  and  had  no  fancy  for  having  his  career 
cut  short  so  soon. 

The  brig  did  not  fire  at  us,  as  to  do  so  she  would 
have  had  to  yaw  and  thus  lose  ground,  while  we 
continued  to  ply  her  with  our  long  gun.  Her  fore- 
topsail  could  not  be  set  while  the  mast  was  being 
fished.  An  attempt  was  now  made  to  hoist  it ; 
but  the  breeze  at  that  instant  strengthening,  away 
went  the  mast,  rigging  and  sail  together.  A  loud 
cheer  arose  from  our  decks :  a  parting  shot  was 
given  her  from  our  gun,  and  in  two  hours  darkness 
hid  her  from  our  sight. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

The  Pirates'  Retreat.— I  still  hope  to  escape.— The  Pirates  make 
another  Prize. — I  meet  old  Friends. — Mark  Anthony  watches 
me.— The  Mary  at  anchor  off  the  Pirates'  Island.— I  take  tho 
Oaih  of  the  Pirates. 

I  DREAMED  all  night  that  I  was  in  the  hands  ot 
the  Americans,  with  a  rope  round  my  neck,  and 
about  tc  be  run  up  at  the  yard-arm — I  felt  the 
practical  inconvenience  of  associating  with  bad 
company.  As  soon  as  I  awoke  I  went  on  deck 


HIS    EARLY     LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       136 

for  Hawk  no  longer  placed  any  restriction  on  my 
movements.  I  fully  expected  to  see  the  brig  of 
war  in  chase  of  us.  I  own  I  felt  somewhat  relieved 
when,  on  looking  round,  not  a  sail  of  any  descrip- 
tion was  to  be  seen ;  and  the  schooner  was  still 
bowling  along  with  a  brisk  breeze  on  a  westerly 
course. 

Towards  evening  we  sighted  land,  towards  which 
our  course  was  altered.  We  ran  on  ;  and  by  marks, 
which  I  could  not  distinguish,  steered  between  coral 
banks,  till  on  a  sudden  I  found  that  we  were  en- 
tering a  lagoon,  with  trees,  towering  on  either  side, 
high  above  our  topmast  heads.  The  wind  dropped 
completely  as  we  got  within  the  passage,  and  the 
boats  were  sent  ahead  to  tow.  Hawk  ordered  me 
into  one  of  them,  and  I  saw  no  reason  to  disobey  ; 
indeed,  I  felt  that  it  would  be  very  foolish  not  to 
do  my  best  to  please  him  in  matters  unconnected 
with  piracy. 

The  sky  was  clear  overhead,  and  the  stars  shone 
down  and  were  reflected,  as  in  a  mirror,  on  the 
otherwise  ink- black  water  of  the  lagoon.  As  we 
pulled  ahead  we  appeared  to  be  passing  through 
a  narrow  canal,  with  lofty  impenetrable  walls  on 
either  side,  while  in  the  centre  rose  before  our  eyes 
the  phantom-like  outline  of  the  schooner  ;  her  top- 
mast heads  and  rigging  alone  being  seen  against 
the  sky  above  the  dark  shadows  of  the  trees. 

The  splash  of  our  oars  was  the  only  sound  which 
broke  the  dead  silence  which  reigned  in  this  se- 
questered spot ;  while  the  only  light,  except  from 
the  glittering  stars  above  us,  was  from  the  phos- 
phorescent flashes  as  the  blades  entered  the  water, 
and  the  golden  drops  again  fell  into  their  parent 
element.  On  looking  on  that  gloomy  surface,  it 
seemed  as  improbable  that  anything  so  bright 
should  come  from  it  as  that  spark?  of  real  fire 


136  PETER    THE    WHALEH, 

should  be  emitted  from  the  hard  flint  stone.  Mat 
Hagan,  an  Irishman,  who  pulled  the  bow  oar  in  my 
boat,  declared  that  our  oars  were  tin-owing  up  to 
the  sky  again  the  reflection  of  the  stars,  which  had 
no  business  to  be  there  at  all. 

We  pulled  on  for  about  half  an  hour,  and  then 
a  sort  of  bay  or  bight  appearing  on  one  side,  we 
brought  the  vessel  into  it,  and  moored  her  stem 
and  stern  fast  to  the  trees.  There  she  lay  so  com- 
pletely concealed,  that  any  one  passing  up  the  canal 
could  not  by  any  possibility  have  seen  her,  even 
in  broad  daylight. 

Here  we  lay  for  several  days,  repairing  damages 
and  refitting  the  ship.  Where  we  were  I  could 
not  learn  from  any  one  on  board ;  but  I  suspected 
that  we  were  in  one  of  the  numberless  keys  among 
the  Bahama  or  Lucaya  Islands  ;  and  I  had  after- 
wards reason  to  know  that  I  was  right. 

Some  of  the  booty  taken  by  the  pirates  was 
landed,  as,  on  account  of  the  marks  on  the  bales 
and  other  signs,  it  was  likely  to  lead  to  their  de- 
tection, should  they  attempt  to  dispose  of  it  in  its 
present  form.  Some  of  the  things  were  hid  away ; 
the  others,  after  undergoing  various  operations,  were 
re-shipped  with  such  perfectly  different  marks,  that 
it  would  have  been  impossible  to  detect  them.  Cun- 
ning and  trickery  seemed  to  be  now  the  means  taken 
by  the  pirates  to  carry  on  their  operations,  instead 
of  the  bold  daring  way  in  which,  as  I  had  read,  their 
predecessors  formerly  plundered  the  honest  trader. 

Hawk  ordered  me  to  lend  a  hand  in  refitting  the 
schooner,  so  I  made  myself  as  useful  as  my  know- 
ledge would  allow.  I  had  begun  to  entertain  a 
hope  of  escaping  when  the  pirates  were  off  their 
guard,  and  fancied  that  I  had  become  reconciled  to 
my  lot.  It  was  against  my  nature  to  be  in  any 
way  treacherous ;  and  I  most  certainly  would  not 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    AD    ENTURES.       137 

have  injured  Hawk,  on  account  of  the  kindness 
with  which  he  had  treated  me  ;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  I  did  not  feel  that  I  was  acting  wrongly  in 
concealing  from  him  my  wish  to  regain  the  liberty 
of  which  he  had  deprived  me. 

One  morning,  while  the  yards  were  still  on  deck 
and  the  sails  unbent,  notice  was  given  from  our 
look-out  at  the  mouth  of  the  lagoon  that  a  sail  was 
in  sight,  about  two  miles  in  the  offing. 

"  What  is  she  ?"  asked  Hawk  of  the  messenger. 

"  A  barque,  deeply  laden,  captain,"  replied  the 
man,  who  was  an  old  pirate.  "  To  my  mind  she 
looks  as  if  she  would  not  make  a  bad  prize,  if  we 
could  get  hold  of  her  ;  and,  as  the  wind  is  drop- 
ping, and  it  will  be  some  time  before  the  sea-breeze 
sets  in,  I  think  there  will  not  be  much  difficulty  in 
doing  that." 

The  captain  was  pleased  at  his  follower's  sug- 
gestion ;  indeed,  he  would  have  risked  the  loss  of 
his  authority  had  he  refused  to  attend  to  it. 

The  men  were  ordered  to  knock  off  work,  and  to 
get  the  boats  ready,  while  those  who  were  away  in 
the  interior  of  the  little  island,  were  recalled  to  lend 
their  assistance.  Every  one  was  instantly  all  life 
and  animation.  With  the  prospect  of  making  a 
prize,  even  the  most  sluggish  were  aroused. 

There  were  three  boats,  which  were  soon  launch- 
ed ;  and  oars,  arms,  and  provisions  were  placed  in 
them.  To  my  surprise,  Hawk  gave  the  command 
of  them  to  Abraham  Jones,  he  himself  remaining 
to  take  charge  of  the  schooner.  From  what  I  heard, 
I  found  that  the  pirates  expected  no  difficulty  or 
danger  in  making  the  capture. 

I,  of  course,  hoped  that  I  should  have  nothing  to 
do  in  the  matter.    What  was  my  horror,  then,  when 
Hawk  ordered  me  into  the  boats  ;  and  my  old  ene- 
my, for  I  cannot  call  liim  my  friend,  Mark  Anthony 
L* 


138  PETEK    THE    WHALKR, 

vas  told  to  keep  me  company.  I  do  not  kiio\*  who- 
(her  this  was  Hawk's  wish,  or  the  desire  of  tha 
Hen,  who  did  not  like  to  trust  me  till  I  had  been 
guilty  of  some  piratical  act.  At  first  I  hesitated 
about  obeying  ;  but  I  soon  saw,  by  the  angry  looks 
which  were  cast  at  me,  that  I  was  doing  so  at  the 
peril  of  my  life ;  and  at  the  same  instant  it  struck 
me,  that  if  I  went,  I  might  by  some  means  or  other 
obtain  my  liberty. 

The  boats  were  one  long-boat,  which  pulled 
eight  oars,  and  carried  in  all  sixteen  men,  and  two 
large  swift-rowing  gigs.  Jones  took  command  of 
the  long-boat,  and  I  was  in  one  of  the  gigs.  In 
silence  we  left  the  vessel  on  our  nefarious  errand 
— in  silence  we  pulled  down  the  canal  with  steady 
and  slow  strokes,  for  while  the  wind  held  there 
was  no  hurry.  When  we  got  close  to  the  mouth 
of  the  harbor,  the  boat  I  was  in  was  sent  out  to  re- 
connoitre. 

The  stranger  was  apparently  beating  up  along 
shore,  towards  which  her  head  was  now  pointed, 
those  who  directed  her  movements  little  aware  of 
the  danger  which  threatened  them.  After  waiting 
a  short  time,  during  which  she  had  drawn  nearer 
to  us,  her  sails  began  to  flap  against  the  masts, 
and  the  ripple  which  had  been  playing  on  the  wa- 
ter disappeared  altogether.  With  the  last  breath 
of  wind  she  was  put  about,  and  attempted  to  stand 
off  shore  ;  but  she  was  very  soon  left  in  what  ia 
called  the  doldrums,  namely  without  steerage-way. 

I  had  been  watching  her  attentively.  I  thought, 
from  the  first,  I  knew  her  ;  and  I  now  felt  certain 
that  she  was  no  other  than  the  ship  of  which  I  waa 
in  search,  the  Mary.  With  bitter  grief  I  came  to 
tliis  conclusion ;  for  I  could  not  but  fear  that  my 
friends  were  on  board  her,  and  that  Captain  Dean 
and  his  sweet  child  would  be  thrown  into  the  hands 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       13£ 

of  the  pirates.  What,  too,  -would  they  think  of  mo 1 
Would  they  believe  me  innocent  when  they  saw  me 
in  such  company  ?  A  thought  came  across  my  mind 
at  that  instant,  I  would  pretend  not  to  recognise 
them.  At  all  risks,  I  would  make  the  pirates  sup- 
pose that  I  joined  willingly  in  this  expedition,  and 
perhaps  I  might  be  the  means  of  preserving  their 
lives  at  all  events,  if  not  their  property.  Perhaps, 
I  thought,  my  steps  might  have  been  led  providen- 
tially through  the  various  adventures  in  which  I 
had  engaged  for  this  very  purpose.  The  very  idea 
made  my  heart  beat  quick  with  a  sensation  almost 
of  joy..  I  did  not  see  how  it  was  to  be  accomplish- 
ed ;  but  I  felt  assured,  that  the  Power  which  had 
hitherto  guided  me  would  point  out  the  way. 

When  the  officer  of  the  boat  I  was  in  saw  the 
barque  becalmed,  he  gave  the  signal  to  our  consort, 
and  without  further  delay,  we  all  three  pulled  out 
together  towards  her. 

For  some  time  no  one  on  board  appeared  to  have 
observed  us.  At  last  some  one  saw  us,  and  two  or 
three  glasses  were  directed  towards  us  ;  but  we  did 
not  seem  to  have  created  any  alarm,  or  even  suspi- 
cion among  them.  Thus  we  were  enabled  to  ap- 
proach without  any  preparation  having  been  made 
to  prevent  our  getting  on  board.  When  it  was  too 
late,  probably  from  the  eagerness  with  which  they 
saw  us  dash  alongside,  they  suspected  that  all  was 
not  right,  and  a  few  of  the  hands  ran  to  the  arm- 
chest,  while  others  attempted  to  slue  round  one  of 
the  two  guns  the  barque  carried,  and  to  point  it 
down  at  the  boats.  Before  they  could  do  so,  we 
were  scrambling  up  her  sides. 

"  Oh,  oh,  Massa  Peter,  you  hurry  enough  now 
to  turn  pirate,  when  you  tink  something  to  be 
got,'1  shouted  Mark  Anthony,  as  he  saw  my  rager- 
uess  to  be  one  of  the  first  on  deck. 


140  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

The  cutter  boarded  on  one  side,  the  two  gigs  oa 
the  other — one  at  the  fore-rigging,  the  3ther  at  the 
imzen-chains — so  that  the  crew  had  to  separate  into 
three  divisions  to  oppose  us.  The  crew  thus  weak- 
ened, the  people  from  the  long-boat  gained  easily  a 
footing  on  deck  ;  they  drove  the  crew  aft,  who  were 
now  attacked  in  the  rear  by  the  party  from  one  of 
the  gigs.  I  was  in  the  foremost  gig,  and  we  had 
no  one  to  oppose  us.  The  only  defence  made  was 
by  the  master,  his  mates,  and  two  of  the  crew,  who 
had  secured  cutlasses.  They  stood  together  on  the 
larboard  side  of  the  poop,  and  boldly  refused  to 
yield  up  the  ship,  till  they  knew  the  authority  of 
those  attacking  her. 

I  saw,  at  a  glance,  that  my  fears  were  well-found- 
ed. There  stood  my  kind  friend,  Captain  Dean  ; 
and,  in  the  centre  of  the  group,  his  sweet  little 
daughter,  Mary.  0  how  I  wished  to  have  the 
strength  of  a  hundred  men,  to  drive  all  the  pirates 
into  their  boats,  and  to  release  my  friends. 

No  sooner  had  I  appeared  above  the  bulwarks, 
than  Mary  saw  me.  She  uttered  a  cry  of  surprise  ; 
for  she  recognised  me  at  once.  It  attracted  her 
father's  attention  ;  his  cutlass  was  struck  from  his 
grasp  by  Jones,  the  two  mates  were  knocked  down, 
and  all  further  resistance  was  at  an  end. 

This  easy  victory  prevented  the  pirates  from 
being  as  bloodthirsty  as  they  might  otherwise  have 
proved  ;  but,  as  a  precautionary  measure,  Jones  or- 
dered both  the  officers  and  crew  to  be  bound  tc 
the  masts  and  rigging,  while  the  ship  was  being 
searched. 

I  had  rushed  aft,  in  the  hopes  of  being  of  some 
assistance  to  Captain  Dean,  should  he  have  re- 
quired it — how,  I  scarcely  knew — I  thought  I  would 
have  interposed  my  body,  should  a  sword  have  been 
raised  to  strike  him.  When  I  saw  him  no  longei 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       141 

making  any  defence,  and  uninjured,  I  stopped,  and 
was  endeavoring  to  turn  away  to  consider  what  I 
should  do  ;  but  Mary's  eye  had  followed  me,  and, 
as  she  saw  me  approaching,  she  uttered  my  name 
in  his  ear.  On  losing  his  sword,  he  had  thrown 
himself  on  one  of  the  hen-coops  placed  against  the 
bulwarks,  where  he  lay,  clasping  his  child  in  his 
arms  ;  and  even  the  pirates  seemed  to  respect  him. 
for  no  one  molested  him. 

Most  of  the  pirates  were  engaged  in  dragging 
the  prisoners  to  the  masts  to  bind  them.  Jones 
had  gone  into  the  cabin.  I  saw  that  no  one  was 
observing  me.  I  hurried  past  my  old  friends. 
"  Hush,"  I  whispered,  in  a  voice  they  could  just 
hear  ;  "  I  am  honest  still.  Do  not  recognise  me — 
I  will  save  you  if  I  can." 

"  I  knew  he  was  true  and  good,"  said  Mary, 
kissing  her  father,  and  trying  to  turn  her  eyes  from 
me. 

What  courage  did  her  words  give  me.  That 
sweet  child's  trusting  friendship  was  a  reward  for 
all  I  had  suffered.  I  resolved  to  abstain  still  from 
the  evil  courses  to  which  my  companions  were  en- 
deavoring to  lead  me.  1  gave  a  glance  over  the 
stern,  as  if  I  had  been  looking  to  see  what  had  be- 
come of  the  gig  which  had  boarded  at  that  end  of 
the  ship,  and  I  again  passed  my  friends,  without 
noticing  them.  I  guessed  that  Mark  Anthony 
would  have  been  watching  me,  and  I  was  right. 

"  What,  you  like  j  irating,  Massa  Peter  ;  you  run 
ab3ut  like  little  dog,  quite  frisky — not  know  what 
to  do,"  he  remarked,  with  a  grin.  He  was  fond  of 
giving  things  their  proper  names.  Jones  would 
have  been  horrified  at  being  called  a  pirate  ;  and 
even  Hawk  did  not  like  the  term,  though,  in  his 
bitter  moments,  he  used  it. 

"  I  hav    no  help  for  it,"  I  answered,  with,  I  hcpe 


112  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

excusable  duplicity.  "The  fact  is,  Mark.  I  hal 
formed  a  wrong  opinion  of  you  gentlemen  ;  and,  in 
future,  I  hope  to  make  as  bold  a  robber  as  the  best 
of  you." 

"  Berry  good,  berry  good,  my  boy,"  said  the 
black,  grasping  my  fist  with  his  huge  rough  hand  ; 
"  me  tell  Captain  Hawk,  Massa  Peter  now  take 
oath."  I  had  not  thought  of  that  dreadful  cere- 
mony, when  I  boasted  of  being  ready  to  turn  pi- 
rate ;  and,  as  I  had  a  true  idea  of  the  sacredness 
of  an  oath,  I  knew  that  I  must  be  betrayed,  if  I 
was  asked  to  take  it,  by  refusing,  as  I  must,  to 
do  so. 

Jones  now  came  out  of  the  cabin,  and  went  up 
to  the  captain.  "  Captain  Dean,"  he  said,  "  for 
such,  I  find  is  your  name,  you  must  order  your 
people  into  the  boats  to  tow  this  vessel  close  in 
shore,  where  you  must  anchor,  to  discharge  some 
of  your  cargo." 

"  I  have  no  longer  command  of  this  vessel,"  re- 
plied the  captain ;  "  if  the  people  choose  to  obey 
you,  I  have  no  power  to  prevent  them." 

"  We  have  the  means  of  making  them  do  what 
we  please,  though,"  exclaimed  Abraham  Jones. 
"  Here,  you,  get  your  boats  in  the  water,  and  tow 
us  ahead."  He  pointed  to  several  of  the  Mary's 
crew,  who  were  released,  and  compelled  by  the 
pirates  to  do  as  he  ordered.  The  pirates'  long- 
boat also  went  ahead,  to  assist  in  towing  ;  while 
four  men  were  stationed  at  the  bows  with  mus- 
kets in  their  hands,  to  fire  on  the  boats  should 
they  attempt  to  escape.  The  rest  who  remained, 
I  zealously  assisting  them,  clewed  and  brailed  up 
the  sails.  When  ordered  by  Jones,  I,  without 
hesitation,  seized  a  musket  and  pointed  it  at  the 
boats. 

Captain  Dean  still  holding  Mary  in  his  arms, 


H  a    KAHLV    LIFE    AJ7D    ADVENTURES.       143 

sat  aft.  without  moving.  He  seemed  completelj 
stunned  with  the  blow  which  had  fallen  on  him, 
for  the  cruel  robbery  would  prove  his  ruin. 

It  was  an  arduous  operation,  towing  the  vessel 
in ;  for  a  cun-ent  set  along-shore,  it  seemed,  and 
drifted  her  tc  the  southward  of  the  entrance  to  the 
lagoon.  I  have  before  described  the  heat  of  a 
tropical  sun  ;  and  very  hot  work,  indeed,  was  this 
towing ;  but  more  particularly  disagreeable  was  it 
for  the  crew  of  the  barque,  who  could  not  tell  but 
at  the  end  of  it,  their  lives  might  be  sacrificed  by 
their  captors  ;  while  the  pirates,  on  the  contrary, 
had  the  satisfaction  of  having  a  rich  booty  in  store. 
At  last,  after  five  hours'  incessant  labor,  we  got, 
as  near  as  the  depth  of  water  would  allow,  to  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  the  anchor  was  dropped 
to  the  bottom. 

Overcome  by  the  heat,  the  pirates  now  came  out 
of  the  boats,  and,  rushing  below,  brought  a  spirit 
cask  on  deck,  which  they  forthwith  broached.  I 
trembled  for  the  consequences.  Jones  did  all  he 
could  to  prevent  their  becoming  intoxicated ;  but 
they  only  laughed  and  jeered  at  him,  and  asked 
who  made  him  an  officer  among  them. 

I  ought  to  have  said,  that,  as  soon  as  the  barque 
had  anchored,  those  of  her  crew  who  were  in  their 
boats  were  turned  adrift,  without  ours  or  masts  or 
sails,  or  any  thing  to  guide  them,  and  allowed  to 
float  wherever  the  current  might  carry  them.  Aa 
it  happened,  there  was  but  little  current  there, 
and  consequently  they  remained  but  a  short  dis- 
tance off,  afraid  to  attempt  either  to  regain  the 
ahip,  or  to  reach  the  shore. 

Louder  and  louder  grew  the  mirth  of  the  pirates, 
and  wilder  their  looks  and  gestures,  as  the  power 
ful  liquor  they  were  swallowing,  took  effect  on  their 
brains.  I  saw  Mary  cling  closer  to  her  father  in 


144  PETER    THE    WHAJLEU, 

fear  and  trembling,  all  the  time  watching  me,  witL 
furtive  glances,  lest  she  should  be  observed  by  hei 
captors.  I  kept  my  musket  in  my  hand  pretend- 
ing to  be  watching  the  boats,  and  as  they  were  now 
astern,  I  came  aft  for  that  purpose.  What  might 
have  been  the  result  of  the  prolonged  orgies  of  the 
pirates  it  is  impossible  to  say ;  but  just  as  two  or 
three  had  begun  to  Stagger  on  their  feet,  and,  with 
their  knives  in  their  hands,  to  cast  their  bloodshot 
eyes  round,  as  if  looking  for  some  victim  for  their 
insane  fury,  a  small  boat  shot  out  of  the  harbor 
and  rapidly  approached  the  ship. 

In  a  few  minutes  Captain  Hawk  stood  on  the 
deck  of  the  prize,  just  in  time  to  prevent  one  of 
his  men  from  killing  the  first  mate  of  the  vessel, 
who  remained  all  the  time  bound  to  the  mast.  He 
then  turned  fiercely  on  Jones,  and  reprimanded 
him  for  not  having  restrained  the  people  more 
effectually.  With  a  blow  of  his  fist  he  knocked 
down  the  three  most  drunken  of  his  followers,  and 
the  rest  appeared  instantly  sobered.  Without  a 
murmur  they  threw  the  remainder  of  the  spirits 
overboard,  and  under  his  directions  commenced 
hoisting  out  such  part  of  the  cargo,  as  he  consid- 
ered most  valuable. 

Captain  Dean  was  not  molested,  nor  was  any 
notice  taken  of  the  boats  which  were  drifting  in 
shore,  and  would,  I  hoped,  reach  it,  and  thus  ena- 
ble the  crews  to  find  means  by  which  to  return  to 
the  ship,  and  perhaps  to  escape.  On  a  sudden  it 
seemed  to  strike  some  of  the  pirates,  that  there 
was  no  use  working  while  there  were  people  they 
could  compel  to  work  for  them ;  and  to  my  sorrov 
two  armed  boats  were  instantly  sent  off  to  tow 
back  the  two  which  were  drifting  away.  Resist 
ance  was  vain,  so  the  poor  fellows  were  compelled 
to  work  in  hoisting  the  cargo  out  of  their  own  ship. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES        145 

and  afterwards  in  pulling  up  the  lagoon  to  the 
schooner.  When  I  saw  that  the  pirates  allowed 
the  strangers  to  see  their  place  of  concealment,  1 
tremble- 1  for  the  fate  of  the  latter,  and  feared 
greatly  that  the  result  would  be  their  destruction 
to  prevent  their  discovering  it  to  others. 

The  boats  were  all  away,  and  six  of  the  pirates 
with  Captain  Hawk  and  myself  were  the  only  per- 
sons besides  the  prisoners  who  remained  on  board. 
Hawk  had  observed  my  apparent  zeal,  I  suspect ; 
for  he  said  to  me  :  "I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are 
overcoming  your  foolish  scruples,  Peter  ;  and  to 
show  the  confidence  I  place  in  you,  I  will  give  you 
charge  of  the  old  master  and  his  daughter.  Take 
care  they  do  not  communicate  with  any  of  the  other 
prisoners  or  assist  to  release  them." 

My  heart  leaped  within  me  at  the  chance  thus 
offered  of  assisting  my  friends,  at  the  same  time 
I  considered  whether  I  ought  to  betray  the  confi- 
dence placed  in  me. 

"  I'll  keep  an  eye  on  them,  sir,"  I  answered  eva- 
sively, and  at  the  same  time  I  took  my  post  oppo- 
site to  them  with  my  musket  in  my  hand.  I  ob- 
served that  Mary  turned  her  head  away  from  me, 
lest  Hawk  should  observe  the  satisfaction  she  felt 
at  this  arrangement.  Hawk  afterwards,  with  all 
his  followers,  went  below  to  make  a  more  minute 
examination  of  the  nature  of  the  cargo. 

As  soon  as  they  had  disappeared,  I  ran  up  to 
Mary  and  her  father.  I  knelt  down.  I  kissed 
their  hands,  and  with  tears  in  my  eyes  assured 
them  that  I  had  been  long  looking  for  them,  and 
was  guiltless  of  willingly  joining  the  pirates.  "  I 
will  risk  my  life  to  liberate  you,"  I  added.  "  Be 
constantly  on  the  watch  for  whatever  may  occur. 
Perhaps  to-night  something  may  favor  our  projects, 

18  M 


146  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

perhaps  it  may  be  weeks  before  I  find  the  meana 
of  aiding  you." 

"  I  knew  you  would,  I  knew  you  would,"  exclaim- 
ed Mary.  "  Father,  Peter  will  help  us  to  escape." 
Captain  Dean,  by  a  strong  effort,  roused  himself 
from  the  state  of  stupor  into  which  he  was  near 
falling.  He  took  my  hand  and  grasped  it  tightly. 

"  Peter,"  he  said,  "  I  will  trust  you,  though  ap- 
pearances are  sorely  against  you.  For  the  sake 
of  humanity — for  this  sweet  child's  sake — I  pray 
that  you  will  not  deceive  us." 

I  again  assured  him  that  I  was  true,  and  that, 
when  I  had  time,  I  would  explain  how  it  all  had 
happened  ;  and  then,  fearful  of  being  seen,  I  retir- 
ed to  my  post  to  act  sentinel  as  before. 

On  Hawk's  returning  on  deck,  he  ordered  Cap- 
tain Dean  and  Mary  into  the  cabin  below,  and 
told  them  that  they  must  remain  there  till  he  had 
determined  what  should  be  done  with  the  ship. 
My  poor  friend  obeyed  without  a  murmur  ;  and, 
taking  Mary  by  the  hand,  conducted  her  to  his 
state-room,  into  which  he  entered  and  closed  the 
door.  I  heard  him  say,  while  I  was  still  close  to 
it,  "  Kneel,  my  child,  kneel ;  and  pray  to  God  to 
protect  us." 

The  boats  had  made  only  two  trips  to  the  shore 
before  it  was  dark,  and  still  very  much  of  the  prop- 
erty the  pirates  wished  to  appropriate  remained 
on  board.  When  they  returned  for  the  last  time 
there  were  various  discussions  as  to  what  should 
be  done  with  the  vessel ;  some  were  for  landing 
everything  of  value,  and  then  burning  her  ;  others 
proposed  scuttling  her,  with  her  people  on  board ; 
a  few  suggested  that  they  might  be  allowed  to  es- 
cape in  their  boats,  as  there  was  little  probability 
uf  their  ever  reaching  land  ;  while  the  most  humane 


HIS     '£AKL\     LIFK     AND    A  DVENTURKiJ.        147 

voted  for  allowing  the  ship  to  depart  when  they 
had  taken  all  they  required  out  of  her. 

Most  of  the  pirates  returned  to  the  schooner  for 
tue  night,  leaving  the  prisoners  with  the  third 
n;ate  and  a  small  guard,  including  me,  in  charge  of 
them.  Just  before  he  left  the  vessel  Hawk  called 
DIP  aside. 

t;  I  leave  you  on  board  of  the  prize,  Peter,"  he 
said,  "  because,  though  you  are  young  and  untried, 
yet  you  have  more  of  humanity  about  you  than  the 
rest  of  my  followers,  and  I  can  place  more  confi- 
dence in  you ;  I  must,  however,  have  you  take  the 
oath  of  our  band,  to  the  effect  that  you  will  not  de- 
sert the  ship,  betray  a  comrade,  or  separate  from 
the  rest  till  our  compact  is  dissolved  by  mutual 
agreement." 

I  thought,  as  seriously  and  as  rapidly  as  I  could, 
whether  such  an  oath  would  not  only  preclude  my 
own  escape,  but  prevent  me  from  assisting  iny 
friends.  "  It  must  effectually  bind  me  to  the  pi- 
rates, and  probably  cause  my  death  ;  but,  if  I  refuse 
to  take  it,  I  shall  lose  all  chance  of  aiding  Captain 
Dean  and  Mary,  so  for  their  sakes  I  will  do  as  I 
am  asked."  I  told  Hawk  I  would  no  longer  refuse 
to  take  the  oath  he  proposed. 

"Then  swear,"  he  said,  repeating  it;  while  a 
number  of  the  pirates  gathered  round. 

"  I  swear,"  I  said,  in  a  voice  which  must,  I 
thought,  betray  my  emotion.  The  pirates  cheered 
and  welcomed  me  as  a  brother  among  them.  At 
that  instant  a  peal  of  thunder  echoed  along  the 
rocks  of  the  shore,  and  vivid  lightning  darted  from 
the  sky. 

I  presumptuously  thought  at  the  time  that  tht 
anger  of  H  eaven  was  thus  shown  for  the  crime  J 
had  committed.  I  trembled  violently  ;  and  had  it 
not  been  dark,  my  confusion  would  have  been 


148  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

.iiscovered.  The  pirates  were,  however,  in  a  hur- 
ry to  depart,  and  stepping  into  their  boats,  which 
were  again  deeply  laden,  they  pulled  up  the  harbor, 
leaving  me  and  my  companions  in  charge  of  the  ship 
and  twice  as  many  prisoners  as  we  ourselves  num- 
bered. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

I  am  left  in  charge  of  the  Prisoners. — Spirits  aid  me  to  help  my 
Friends.— The  Tables  are  turned.— My  Oath  compels  me  to 
remain  with  the  Pirates. — We  are  left  in  an  open  Boat. — Find 
ourselves  suddenly  transferred  to  the  Deck  of  a  Brig  of  War. 
— An  Expedition  against  the  Pirates. 

I  DID  not  go  to  sleep,  it  may  be  supposed,  but 
walked  the  deck,  considering  what  I  should  do.  I 
had  never  spoken  much  with  the  third  mate,  who 
was  now  commanding  officer ;  and  I  felt  less  incli- 
nation than  ever  to  enter  into  conversation  with  him, 
so  I  only  went  near  him  when  I  was  obliged  to  do 
so,  to  report  that  all  was  right. 

He  was  a  surly  ruffian,  in  no  way  superior  to  the 
rest  of  the  people,  except  that  from  having  been  at 
sea  all  his  life,  he  was  a  tolerable  seaman.  It  was 
with  some  difficulty  that  I  gained  permission  from 
him  to  carry  some  food  and  water  to  the  prisoners, 
or  I  believe  he  would  have  allowed  them  to  starve. 
I  dared  not  tell  them  that  I  was  a  friend,  lest  some 
might  incautiously  betray  me.  Wherever  I  went 
also,  Mark  Anthony  followed,  and  narrowly  watched 
my  proceedings.  I  observed  him,  though  I  pre- 
tended not  to  do  so.  and  was  trying  to  devise  some 
means  of  lulling  the  suspicions  he  evidently  still 
entertained  of  me. 

The  mate's  name  was  John  Pinto,  a  Portuguese 
bj  birth,  though  he  said  he  was  an  American,  and 


H'S    EARLY    LIFE    AND     ADVENTURES.       149 

ne  spoke  English  -well.  I  knew  that  he  was  ad- 
dicted to  liquor,  when  he  could  indulge  in  it  with- 
out fear  of  the  consequences.  I  had  found  seve- 
ral bottles  of  fine  old  Jamaica  rum  in  the  cabin,  so 
I  brought  one  up  on  deck,  with  a  monkey  full  of  cool 
water,  and  saying  that  I  was  very  thirsty  after 
the  day's  work,  and  must  have  a  glass,  asked  him 
if  he  would  have  one  also  ?  He  consented,  arid  I 
poured  out  a  stiff  tumbler-full,  the  strength  of  which 
was  concealed  by  the  coolness  of  the  water. 

'•'  Very  good,  indeed,"  he  growled  out.  "  Peter, 
you  understand  these  things,  give  me  another."  I 
did  so.  and  made  it  even  stronger  than  the  first. 
He  liked  it  accordingly  even  better,  and  took  seve- 
ral others  in  quick  succession.  I  was  not  afraid  of 
his  growing  furious,  for  from  the  nature  of  the 
man,  I  knew  that  he  would  only  become  stupid, 
and  fi'ially  wruld  fall  asleep.  With  much  satisfac- 
tion I  saw  this  effect  take  place. 

"  Now,  I  am  commanding  officer,"  I  thought, 
"  and  I  will  see  what  is  next  to  be  done."  Just  as 
I  had  thought  this,  and  had  stood  up  to  look  around 
me,  I  felt  the  hot  breeze  coming  off  the  land.  An 
idea  struck  me,  if  I  could  but  liberate  the  prisoners, 
they  might  run  the  vessel  far  away  to  sea  before 
the  morning,  and  out  of  the  reach  of  the  pirates. 

How  to  accomplish  this  was  the  next  thought- 
go  with  them  I  could  not  on  account  of  my  oath, 
and  I  was  also  bound  to  the  rest.  There  was  a 
sentry  placed  before  Captain  Dean's  cabin.  I  de- 
termined to  make  him  tipsy  also.  I  had  recourse 
to  the  old  rum,  and  with  the  same  effect  it  had  on 
the  mate.  Two  men  walked  the  deck  near  the 
main  hatchway,  the  other  four  were  forward.  The 
prisoners  were  in  the  hold,  and  my  great  difficulty 
was  to  get  to  them. 

I  F^i't  on  deck  to  watch  the  two  men — they  were 
M* 


150  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

sitting  down,  and  I  had  hopes  were  asleep.  Mark 
Anthony,  whom  I  most  feared,  was  forward.  The 
night  had  become  very  dark,  so  I  went  close  to  them 
without  being  perceived,  and  I  could  distinguish  by 
the  tones  of  their  voices,  that  all  four  were  talking 
together.  On  this  I  crept  back  to  the  cabin — the 
sentry  was  snoring  in  complete  insensibility,  so  I 
dragged  him  on  one  side,  and  tapped  softly  at  tho. 
door  of  the  state-cabin. 

"  It  is  Peter,"  I  whispered.  "  Open  the  door,  I 
have  something  to  say."  Mary  knew  my  voice, 
and  opened  it  before  I  had  done  speaking,  for  I  had 
unlocked  it  from  the  outside. 

"  Captain  Dean,"  I  said,  in  a  hurried  tone.  "  the 
wind  is  off  the  shore — two  of  your  guards  are  un- 
conscious from  drink,  and  if  I  can  but  make  the 
rest  so,  or  you  can  manage  to  overpower  them,  you 
may  regain  possession  of  your  vessel.  I  can  nei- 
ther assist  you  further,  nor  can  I  accompany  you  ; 
for  at  all  risks  I  must  return  to  the  schooner." 

"  Oh  no,  no,"  exclaimed  Mary,  "  you  must  go 
with  us ;  we  cannot  leave  you  behind  with  those 
dreadful  men." 

"  I  have  taken  an  oath,  Mary,  and  I  must  remain," 
I  replied.  "  But  have  no  fears  for  me.  I  shall,  I 
trust,  finally  escape  from  the  toils  which  surround 
me,  and  we  may  meet  again."  For  some  time  I 
continued  in  the  same  strain,  and  finally  succeeded 
in  winning  her  over  to  my  view  of  the  case.  I  had 
less  difficulty  in  persuading  her  father  that  there 
was  no  other  chance  of  escape,  ami  I  urged  on  him 
the  duty  he  owed  to  his  owners  as  well  as  to  hia 
child,  if  not  to  himself. 

With  several  bottles  of  old  rum  I  returned  on 
deck,  and  with  one  in  my  hand,  I  sat  myself  down 
Dear  the  two  men  guarding  the  hatchway. 

"The  mote  finds  tlis  stuff  very  good,"  said  I 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       15l 

'  Will  you  take  a  glass  ?"  They  did  not  say  no, 
but  pronounced  it  excellent. 

"  The  rest  should  not  be  kept  out  of  their  share," 
1  remarked.  "  I'll  take  them  some."  To  this 
they  would  not  agree,  and  wishing  to  keep  it  all  to 
themselves  drank  it  down  much  faster  than  they 
would  otherwise  have  done.  I  took  the  empty 
bottle  away  and  put  a  full  one  in  its  place,  much 
to  their  surprise ;  for  they  did  not  suspect  my 
trick.  Favoring  my  design  the  others  heard  them 
praising  the  rum,  and  asked  them  what  they  Avere 
about.  I  instantly  ran  forward  with  two  bottles. 

"  They  have  got  some  spirits  which  they  think 
very  good,  and  I  have  brought  you  some  bottles 
There  are  several  more  stowed  away  somewhere  on 
deck,  and  if  I  can  find  them  I  will  bring  them  to 
you." 

"  Bear  a  hand  and  bring  them  to  us  ;  but  do  not 
let  Pinto  see  yon.  or  he  will  be  laying  an  embargo 
on  them,"  said  one  of  the  men,  in  a  low  voice,  think- 
ing the  mate  might  hear  him. 

In  a  short  time  all  the  pirates,  including  even 
Mark  Anthony,  were  lying  about  the  decks  in  a 
state  of  helpless  intoxication. 

With  my  knees  trembling  with  agitation,  I  hur- 
ried aft  and  told  Captain  Dean  what  had  occurred. 
Leaving  Mary  in  the  cabin  he  accompanied  me  on 
deck,  and  we  instantly  set  to  work  to  get  the  hatches 
off.  We  succeeded,  and  going  below  found  the 
mates  and  crew,  most  of  them  overcome  with  fa- 
tigue, fast  asleep.  It  was  the  work  of  a  minute 
to  rouse  them  up,  to  explain  what  had  happened, 
and  to  cut  loose  the  lanyards  with  which  they  were 
secured. 

I  told  them  that  they  must  make  a  simultaneous 
rush  on  desk,  that  they  must  bind  roe  with  the  rest 
of  tlx;  p'.ratoB  that  they  must  put  us  Into  a  boat 


rying 
Thei( 


152  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

with  a  couple  of  small  sculls  just  to  enatle  us  to 
reach  the  shore,  and  that  they  must  then  cut 
their  cable  and  get  to  sea  as  fast  as  possible. 

"  I  do  not  see  what  should  prevent  us  from  ear- 
ring all  hands  off,  prisoners,"  said  the  first  mate. 
idea  that  they  might  do  so  had  not  occurred  to 
me.  I  wished  most  cordially  that  they  would,  but 
my  oath  made  it  incumbent  on  me  to  return  if  I 
had  the  power. 

"  We  must  do  as  this  young  man  requires,"  said 
Captain  Dean.  "  We  will  abide  by  his  decision." 

"  Then  I  must  beg  that  you  will  without  delay 
put  me  and  my  companions  into  a  boat,  and  be  off 
yourselves,"  I  answered,  with  a  sinking  heart. 

I  crept  first  on  deck  and  lay  down  among  the 
men  forward.  Presently  the  crew  rushed  on  deck, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  previous  order  of  things 
was  completely  reversed,  and  the  pirates  were  bound 
and  floating  helplessly  in  a  boat  by  themselves. 
The  black,  who  was  near  me,  was  the  only  one  who 
was  aroused,  and  he  saw  me  being  bound  like  him- 
self. He  would  have  cried  out,  but  a  gag  thrust 
into  his  mouth,  effectually  prevented  him. 

With  mingled  feelings  of  pain  and  joy,  I  saw, 
through  the  gloom,  the  sails  of  the  Mary  drop  from 
their  yards  ;  and  her  cable  being  cut  she  glided 
away  into  the  obscurity  of  the  distance.  I  uttered 
a  prayer  for  the  safety  of  those  on  board.  I  had 
no  fears  for  myself :  but,  I  confess,  I  wished  that, 
notwithstanding  my  protestations,  Captain  Dean 
had  forcibly  detained  me  ;  though  I,  of  course,  wag 
compelled  to  insist  on  being  treated  like  the  rest  of 
the  piraies ;  and  he  not  knowing  my  real  wish, 
thought  he  was  bound  to  do  as  I  desired.  Mary 
was  ail  the  time  below,  or  her. keen  perception  would 
have  saved  me,  as  she  would  have  insisted  on  keeping 
me  in  spite  of  myself.  I  repeated  the  oath  I  had 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVRiVl-tfRE?.       153 

taken  over  and  over  again,  and  I  did  not  find  that 
it  in  any  -way  prevented  me  from  liberating  tho 
prize.  That  any  one  would  dream  of  doing  such 
a  thing  had,  I  suppose,  never  occurred  to  its  fra- 
mers. 

It  was  broad  daylight  before  any  of  the  people 
came  to  their  senses.  The  bla^k  had  been  all  tho 
time,  in  a  degree,  awake,  though  his  intellects  were 
not  very  bright ;  he,  however,  had  been  too  tightly 
bound  hand  and  foot  to  move,  while  his  mouth  was 
too  securely  gagged  to  allow  him  to  cry  out.  I 
arose  with  pretended  difficulty  ;  I  saw  his  keen  eye 
glaring  on  me.  I  looked  over  the  gunnel,  the  Mary 
was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  She  had  then  escaped, 
and  I  returned  thanks  to  Heaven  for  her  safety. 

The  boat  had  been  driven  by  the  wind  some  way 
out  to  sea  ;  and  it  occurred  to  me  that  there  was  a 
great  probability  of  our  being  starved  before  we 
could  regain  the  shore,  should  we  not  be  seen  by 
the  schooner's  crew.  This  idea  gave  way  to  the 
picture  which  presented  itself  of  the  rage  and  dis- 
appointment of  the  pirates,  when  they  found  that 
their  prize  had  escaped. 

"  They  will  wreak  their  vengeance  on  us  all,  per- 
haps ;  on  my  head,  especially,  if  it  is  suspected  that  I 
had  a  hand  in  liberating  the  prisoners.  How  can  I 
avoid  being  suspected  1  The  mate  will  recollect 
that  I  brought  the  rum  to  him,  so  will  the  others  ; 
they  will  compare  notes,  and  I  shall  be  accused  of 
having  plotted  with  the  crew  of  the  Mary.  It  will 
be  asserted,  that  I  intended  to  accompany  them, 
and  to  claim  a  reward — perhaps  to  bring  a  ship  of 
war  to  the  spot ;  and  that  they  had  played  me  false 
in  placing  me  in  the  boat.  It  will  not  be  supposed 
that  I  might  have  escaped,  but  would  not  break  my 
Dath.  My  condition  is,  indeed,  perilous." 

I  was  right  in  that  respect :  never,  perhaps,  had 


154  PETFR    THE    WHALER, 

I  been  in  such  imminent  danger ;  but  I  forgot  at 
the  time  that  there  is  a  higher  power  ever  watch- 
ful over  men,  and  that  it  will  assuredly  protect 
those  who  act  rightly. 

0  let  me  urge  my  young  friends,  in  their  course 
through  life,  always  to  do  what  they  know  in  right, 
fearless  of  consequences  ;  let  no  consideration  what- 
ever induce  them  to  act  otherwise.     They  may  not 
— probabl}r  (To  not — see  the  way  by  which  they  are 
to  be  preserved,  but  God,  in  his  good  time*  will 
show  it  to  them ;  or  if  they  are  exposed  in  conse- 
quence to  suffering,  will  not  fail,  beyond  all  mea- 
sure, to  reward  them. 

1  must  explain  that  I  do  not  feel  quite  certain 
that  I  was  right  in  taking  the  oath.  Even  now  that 
years  have  passed  since  that  time,  I  am  undecided 
as  to  that  point ;  and,  therefore,  I  trust  that  I  may 
be  pardoned  if  I  was  wrong  in  doing  so,  when  I  had 
no  time  for  reflection. 

When  the  black  saw  me  move,  he  made  various 
strange  noises,  to  call  ray  attention  to  his  condi- 
tion. I  showed  him  that  my  hands  were  bound, 
but  I  contrived  to  crawl  towards  him  ;  and,  though 
his  own  hands  were  behind  his  back,  he  contrived 
so  far  to  loosen  the  cords  which  bound  mine  (they 
were,  in  truth,  but  slightly  secured,  and  I  could 
have  released  them  without  aid),  that  I  got  them 
perfectly  free.  The  first  thing  I  did  was  to  take 
the  gag  from  his  mouth,  and  0  what  a  torrent  of 
abuse  flowed  instantly  out  of  it.  He  did  not,  how- 
ever, suspect  me,  as  I  thought  he  would.  We  next 
released  the  rest ;  but  they  were  still  too  overcome 
vrith  the  liquor  to  comprehend  what  had  happened. 

The  wird  was  still  off  the  shore,  and  the  boat 
continued  drifting  out  to  sea,  her  speed  increased 
by  a  current  which  set  to  the  southward.  The 
black  i  ecognized  the  mouth  of  the  lagoon,  which  h« 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       155 

knew  well ;  but  I  could  not  make  it  out.  The  two 
sculls  were  found  ;  and  bestowing  many  maledic- 
tions on  his  companions,  for  not  being  able  to  drink 
with  impunity,  he  made  me  take  one  o?  them,  and 
attempt  to  pull  towards  the  shore. 

With  the  prospects  I  had  in  view,  1  had  no  par- 
ticular wish  to  exert  myself;  and  I  saw  that,  ever 
( if  I  did  so  to  the  utmost,  we  could  make  no  way 
against  the  breeze  and  the  current,  setting  in  an 
opposite  direction. 

The  sun  rose,  and  struck  down  with  burning  fury 
on  our  heads  ;  and  I  knew,  when  the  wind  fell,  it 
would  be  hotter  still.  At  length  I  began  to  feel 
the  pangs  of  hunger ;  and,  to  my  satisfaction,  I 
found  that  some  considerate  friend  had  put  a  few 
biscuits  and  a  keg  of  water  into  the  boat.  With 
this  I  refreshed  myself,  and  so  did  the  black  ;  and 
I  began  to  hope  that  he  was  grateful  to  me  for  re- 
leasing him  from  the  gag,  and  that  he  would  bear 
witness  to  having  seen  me  bound  like  the  rest. 

When  we  found  that  we  could  make  no  way  with 
the  paddles,  we  gave  it  up,  and  set  to  work  to  try 
and  revive  our  companions.  We  unlashed  their 
arms  and  legs,  and,  by  degrees,  they  came  to  them- 
selves. They  were  very  much  surprised  at  what 
had  happened,  and  could  not  account  for  it. 

"  Well,  no  use  talking  here,"  observed  Mark 
Anthony,  Avhose  wits  being  brighter  than  theirs, 
was  for  active  measures.  "  If  we  no  get  on  shore, 
we  all  die  together." 

I  suggested,  that  we  might  manufacture  some 
more  paddles  out  of  the  bottom-boards,  and  that, 
by  bending  our  handkerchiefs  and  jackets  together, 
we  might  form  a  sail,  which,  when  the  sea-breeze 
set  in,  might  enable  us  to  reach  some  part  of  the 
coast.  No  one  having  any  better  advice  to  offer, 
mine  was  adopted — two  more  pairs  of  paddles  were 


156 


PETER    THE    WHALER, 


formed,  but,  though  they  enabled  us  to  make  some 
little  headway,  it  was  very  slowly. 

My  companions  now  grew  weary ;  and,  the  look- 
ed-for  breeze  not  arriving,  they  began  to  lose  their 
tempers,  as  people  are  apt  to  do,  even  without  so 
much  reason,  after  a  debauch. 

"  It  was  all  your  fault,  youngster,"  suddenly  ex- 
claimed the  mate,  turning  to  me  ;  "  you  brought 
me  the  stuff  which  capsised  me." 

"  And  he  brought  it  to  us,"  said  one  of  the  men 
who  had  been  guarding  the  main-hatchway. 

"  And  to  us,  also,"  cried  those  who  had' been  for- 
ward. 

"  Den,"  exclaimed  the  black,  giving  a  most  dia- 
bolical grin,  from  ear  to  ear,  which  made  my  bloud 
run  cold,  "  he  done  it  on  purpose  :  dere  was  borne- 
ting  in  it,  no  doubt." 

^  0  how  my  heart  sunk  within  me  ;  for  taeir  sus- 
picions once  being  set  on  the  right  scent,  I  feared 
they  would  discover  the  truth.  However,  I  put  a 
bold  face  on  the  matter,  and  answered,  "  I  found 
the  spirit — I  tasted  it,  and  thought  it  very  good,  so 
I  brought  it  to  you.  I  am  in  as  bad  a  condition  as 
any  of  you,  so  I  gained  nothing  Lv  treachery,  if  I 
Tas  guilty  of  it." 

"  Ah !  but  you  hoped  to  do  so,"  exclaimed  the 
mate,  "  It  wasn't  your  wish  to  remain  with  us,  but 
you  could  not  help  yourself.'  Thus  the  discussion 
went  on,  till  they  arrived  very  nearly  at  the  truth. 
I  said  nothing  ;  but  listened,  expecting  every  mo- 
ment to  be  my  last.  Some  proposed  throwing  int 
overboard  at  once  ;  but  the  black  suggested,  that 
the  captain  would  be  angry  at  such  a  proceeding, 
and  that  it  would  be  far  better  to  carry  me  in  alive, 
and  to  torment  me  before  they  put  me  to  death. 

I  told  them,  that  they  had  no  proof  of  my  guilt, 
and  that  I  denied  the  accusation  of  having  put 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       157 

anything  into  the  liquor;  and  that  I  was  certain 
that  Captain  Hawk  would  acquit  me. 

They  were  still  threatening  me,  when  the  black 
who  was  standing  up,  on  looking  towards  the  mouth 
of  the  harbor,  espied  two  boats  pulling  out  towards 
us.  Our  comrades  must  have  seen  us  with  their 
glasses  from  the  shore,  and  were  coming  to  our  as- 
sistance. They  could  not  possibly  be  more  than 
four  miles  off.  "  Scarcely  had  the  rest  time  to  dis- 
cover the  specks  they  seemed  on  the  water,  when 
I  observed  a  sail  just  rounding  the  west  side  of  the 
island,  and  standing,  with  a  fresh  breeze,  directly 
for  us.  It  was  not  long  before  she  was  discovered 
by  the  rest. 

She  was  a  large  brig  ;  and,  from  the  squareness 
of  her  yards,  she  looked  like  a  man-of-war.  Down 
she  came  rapidly  on  us,  as  yet,  unperceived  by  the 
people  in  the  boats,  as  a  point  of  high  land,  covered 
with  trees,  hid  her  completely  from  them.  The 
black  jumped  up,  and  watched  her,  with  lips  apart, 
and  staring  eyeballs,  for  some  time. 

"  De  brig  we  fought  de  oder  day,"  he  exclaimed. 
"  If  he  see  we,  den  we  all  hang."  And  he  sunk 
down  at  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  intimating  to  the 
rest  to  follow  his  example. 

I  scarcely  knew  whether  to  wish  that  the  Ameri- 
can brig  of  war,  for  such  I  felt  convinced  she  was, 
should  discover  us,  or  whether  we  might  get  into 
the  harbor  unperceived. 

In  the  latter  case,  the  probabilities  wrere,  that  the 
pirates  would  put  me  to  death.  In  the  former,  I 
ran  a  great  risk  of  being  hung  because  I  was  a 
pirate ;  or  the  boat  might  drift  out  to  sea,  and  a 
lingering  death  would  be  our  portion.  Neither 
alternative  afforded  a  pleasant  subject  of  contem- 
plation. 

The  boats  from  the  shore  wsre  all  this  time  ap- 

N 


158  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

proaching  us.  At  last  they  saw  the  tup-gallant 
masts'  heads  of  the  brig  over  the  point ;  but  I  sup- 
jv,se  they  fancied  they  were  those  of  the  Mary, 
t(  r  they  continued  their  course.  In  a  short  time, 
however,  they  perceived  their  mistake  ;  but  the  brig 
had  got  clear  of  the  land,  and  they  were  full  in 
view  of  any  sharp  eyes  stationed  on  her  tops. 
They  directly  pulled  back,  and  we  lost  sight  of 
.  them  almost  immediately. 

The  brig  came  on,  and  at  first,  after  rounding  the 
point,  stood  on  a  course  which  would  have  carried 
her  inside  of  us,  but  on  discovering  the  boat,  she 
again  stood  towards  us.  The  fright  of  all  hands 
in  the  boat  was  excessive  ;  and  the  bold  blustering 
pirates  proved  themselves  cowards  indeed.  The 
African  was  the  bravest,  for  the  death  he  expected 
had  few  terrors  for  him.  He  even  had  presence  of 
mind  sufficient  to  suggest,  that  we  should  invent  a 
plausible  tale  of  having  been  cast  adrift  by  the  rest 
of  the  crew  of  a  ship  who  had  run  off  with  her.  All 
eagerly  grasped  at  the  idea,  but  before  the  tale  was 
thoroughly  concocted,  the  brig  was  alongside  us, 
and  Ave  were  very  unceremoniously  hauled  on  board. 

We  were  immediately  taken  before  the  captain 
and  his  officers  in  full  uniform,  who  stood  round 
him  on  the  quarter-deck. 

"  What  brought  you  out  here  ?"  he  demanded  of 
the  mate,  who  from  his  dress  seemed  to  be  the  offi- 
cer. Pinto  told  the  tale  which  had  just  been  in- 
vented. 

"  And  what  are  those  boats  doing  inshore  of 
as  ?"  was  the  next  question. 

"  I  know  nothing  of  the  boats,"  was  Pirito's  an 
ewer ;  but  the  appearance  and  clogged  manner  of 
my  companions  had  raised  suspicions  in  the  minda 
of  the  Ameiican  officers  which  were  not  easily 
allayed 


MIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       ]  fili 

Meantime  the  brig  had  hauled  her  wind,  and  wa? 
standing  in  shore  with  the  lead  going,  in  the  di- 
rection the  boats  hud  taken.  Officers  with  sharp 
eyes  were  also  stationed  at  each  fore-yard  arm  to 
look  out  for  coral  reefs.  The  Foam's  boats  reached 
the  entrance  to  the  lagoon,  just  as  the  brig  dropped 
her  anchor,  it  being  considered  dangerous  to  ap- 
proach nearer  the  shore. 

The  brig,  I  found,  was  the  Neptune,  Captain 
Faith.  She  was  a  remarkably  fine  vessel,  carry- 
ing nineteen  guns,  and  had  been  sent  out  expressly 
to  look  for  the  Foam.  Captain  Faith  and  his  offi- 
cers were  burning  to  revenge  the  insult  oifered 
them  shortly  before  by  the  schooner.  It  appeared 
that  they  had,  by  some  means,  notice  of  her  where- 
abouts ;  and  when  they  saw  the  retreating  boats, 
they  had  little  doubt  of  the  true  state  of  the  case. 

We  were  all  kept  separate  from  each  other,  and 
were  questioned  one  by  one.  What  the  others 
said  I  do  not  exactly  know  ;  but  I  have  reason  to 
believe  that  not  one  of  them  told  the  same  story. 
I  was  the  last  interrogated  :  "  And  what  have  you 
got  to  say  for  yourself?"  asked  the  lieutenant. 

"  That  I  was  last  night  put  into  this  boat  with 
the  rest,  with  my  hands  bound  behind  my  back,"  I 
replied. 

"  And  you  believe,  that  the  people  who  so  treat- 
ed you  have  run  off  with  the  ship  to  turn  pirates  ?" 

"  I  do  not  believe  it,"  I  answered  ;  "  I  knew  the 
captain,  who  was  a  kind  friend  of  mine,  and  the 
ship  was  his  own.  If  you  ever  meet  Captain 
Dean  of  the  Mary,  he  will  corroborate  what  I  say.' 

"  This  is  a  new  version  of  the  story,"  replied 
the  lieutenant. 

"  It  is  the  true  one  ;  of  that  you  may  be  assur 
ed,"  I  replied  ;  "  I  would  willingly  tell  you  more 
but  I  cannot,  so  there  is  no  use  questioning  me." 


lt>0  PETER    THE    WHALEUl, 

"  We  shall  soon  see  that,"  he  observed.  '  These 
ivho  will  not  speak  when  they  can,  must  be  made 
to  speak." 

I  was  silent ;  for  if  I  said  more,  I  was  afraid  of 
running  the  risk  of  breaking  my  oath,  by  betray 
ing  Hawk  and  his  followers. 

The  attention  of  all  on  board  was  now  taken  up 
by  the  manning  of  the  boats,  -which  were,  I  found, 
to  be  sent  up  forthwith,  on  an  expedition  in  search 
of  the  pirates.  0  how  I  longed  to  warn  the  brave 
men  I  saw  with  such  joyful  alacrity  getting  ready, 
of  the  great  risk  they  were  about  to  run.  The 
schooner,  I  knew,  had  ten  guns  on  board,  and  the 
pirates  would  be  able  so  to  place  her  as  to  offer  a 
stout  resistance,  if  not  to  defeat  the  man-of-war's 
boats  completely. 

Four  of  the  brig's  boats  were  sent  away ;  to 
which  was  added  the  one  in  which  I  had  been  ta- 
ken ;  so  that  there  was  a  pretty  strong  flotilla  en- 
gaged in  the  expedition.  Remembering,  however, 
the  extreme  narrowness  of  the  passage,  I  felt  that, 
if  the  pirates  landed,  and  simply  fired  down  upon 
their  assailants,  they  might  pick  every  one  of  them 
off  without  the  slightest  risk  to  themselves.  I 
was  very  much  afraid  of  being  compelled  to  accom- 

rny  the  boats  ;  not  that  I  feared  the  danger,  but 
thought  that  Hawk  would  fancy  that  I  did  so 
willingly  ;  and  though  he  might  be  defeated  and 
killed,  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of  his  dying  with  the 
impression  on  his  mind,  that  I  had  betrayed  him  ; 
or,  on  the  contrary,  if  the  boats  were  destroyed,  of 
course,  I  could  expect  no  mercy  at  his  hands. 
With  aching  eyes  I  saw  them  enter  the  mouth  of 
the  lagoon ;  and,  perhaps,  no  one  on  board  felt  a 
greater  interest  in  their  proceed;ngs  than  I  did 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES        161 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Fie  Tirates  attacked  in  their  Strong-hold.— The  »na  of  thf 
Foam. — The  Pirates  recognize  us. — I  narrate  my  .t-dv  mtures 
but  am  not  believed. — Arrive  in  Port. — The  Trial. — Am  found 
Guilty,  and  Condemmed.— As  is  expected  by  all  Readers 
Friends  arrive  just  in  time  to  prove  me  innocent. — I  enter  on 
board  an  American  Man-of-war. 

I  WAS  allowed  to  remain  on  deck,  under  charge 
of  a  sentry  ;  but  was  in  no  other  way  treated  as  a 
prisoner.  Half  an  hour  elapsed;  during  which 
the  boats  were,  probably,  looking  for  the  pirate 
vessel,  without  a  shot  being  heard.  It  was  a  time 
of  the  most  intense  anxiety.  At  length,  as  if  to 
make  amends  for  the  previous  silence,  the  roar  of 
big  guns  and  musketry  was  heard  reverberating  in 
quick  succession  among  the  rocks.  One  fancied 
that  one  could  distinguish  as  each  boat  came  up  to 
the  contest,  and  the  schooner  fired  at  her  in  return, 
'.Che  wreaths  of  smoke  could  be  perceived  in  the 
atmosphere,  rising  above  the  trees.  Once  there 
ivas  a  cessation  ;  and  it  appeared  that  the  boats 
were  driven  back.  One  thing  was  certain,  the  pi- 
rates had  not  attempted  to  stop  them  at  the  narrow 
passage,  as  they  might  have  done  ;  or,  if  they  had 
they  had  successfully  passed  it. 

Five  minutes  elapsed — they  seemed  an  hour. 
Then  again  the  hubbub  recommenced,  with  great- 
er fury  than  before.  So  excited  did  many  of  the 
men,  and  even  the  officers,  become,  that  I  almost 
thought  they  would  leap  into  the  water,  and  try  to 
swim  to  shore,  to  join  in  the  combat.  I  fancied 
that  I  could  even  hear  the  cries  and  shrieks  of  the 
combatants — that  I  could  see  the  whole  scene  be 


162  PETER    THE    WHALEK, 

"ore  me,  through  the  trees — the  boats  at  the  month 
of  the  bight,  firing  away  at  the  schooner,  their 
officers  cheering  the  men  on  ;  the  pirates,  stripped 
to  the  waist,  working  the  guns  of  the  schooner, 
some  on  board,  and  others  on  either  point  on  shore, 
with  small-armed  men  scattered  in  every  direction 
around.  The  prolonged  fight  made  me  feel  verx- 
doubtful  of  the  result  of  the  contest.  There  was 
a  pause — and  then  a  loud,  fearful  explosion,  and 
the  masts,  and  spars,  and  fragments  of  the  pirate 
schooner,  could  be  seen  rising  in  the  air.  She 
had  blown  up  ;  but  still  it  might  be  questioned 
who  were  the  victors. 

There  was  another  interval  of  the  most  intense 
anxiety.  In  vain  we  waited  for  the  re-appearance 
of  the  boats,  till  the  Neptune's  people  began  to 
fear  that  their  brave  shipmates  had  been  all  de- 
stroyed. There  was  only  one  small  boat,  the  dingy, 
remaining  on  board.  The  master,  the  only  gun- 
room ofiicer  left,  besides  the  surgeon,  and  purser, 
volunteered  to  go  in,  and  look  for  them.  I  was  on 
the  very  point  of  offering  to  accompany  him,  as 
pilot,  when  I  remembered  that  I  was  supposed  to 
know  nothing  of  the  place.  The  commander  gave 
an  unwilling  consent ;  for  he  did  not  like  to  risk 
more  of  his  people.  He  was  just  shoving  off, 
•when,  first  one  boat  was  seen  to  emerge  from 
among  the  trees,  then  another,  and  lastly,  four  ap  • 
peared — thus  one  only  was  missing.  They  pulled 
slowly  on  board,  and  were  seen  to  be  heavily 
laden. 

With  a  shout  of  joy  and  heai  ty  congratulation 
they  were  received  alongside ;  but  the  entire  sa- 
tisfaction at  the  success  of  the  expedition  was  some- 
what mitigated,  when  it  was  found  that  several  of 
their  numbers  were  missing.  They  had  brought 
?ff  ten  prisoners,  most  of  whom  were  wounded. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       163 

Soii?e  of  the  packages  which  had  been  taken  from 
the  Mary  were  also  brought  on  board.  Neithei 
Hawk  nor  Abraham  Jones  were  among  the  prison- 
ers ;  I  therefore  concluded  that  they  were  killed 
or  had  escaped.  The  prisoners,  to  my  horror,  at 
once  recognized  me  and  the  rest  of  their  comrades, 
addressing  us  familiarly  by  our  names,  and  thus 
completely  identified  us  with  themselves.  I  sup- 
pose they  did  this  from  a  feeling  of  revenge,  from 
fancying  that  we  had  been  the  cause  of  their  dis- 
aster. The  captain,  on  this,  ordered  us  all  to  be 
secured  and  treated  as  prisoners  alike,  till  he  had 
lime  to  investigate  the  matter  fully. 

I  heard  an  account  of  the  expedition  from  one  of 
the  seamen  who  had  been  engaged  in  it,  as  he  de- 
scribed it  to  a  messmate.  It  appeared  that  the  pi- 
rates had  at  once  gone  on  board  the  schooner,  which 
they  had  placed,  just  as  I  supposed  they  would, 
directly  across  the  entrance  of  the  bight.  Heie 
Hawk  fought  her  most  bravely,  once  compelling  the 
boats  to  retreat. 

On  a  second  attempt  to  board  she  was  discovered 
to  be  on  fire,  notwithstanding  which  Hawk  had 
remained  in  the  vessel  till  the  last  moment,  when, 
leaping  into  the  boats,  he  and  some  of  his  crew 
escaped  to  the  shore.  Many  of  them  who  could  not 
were  blown  up.  Fortunately,  one  boat's  crew  only 
of  the  Americans  had  got  on  board  by  the  stern, 
several  of  these  poor  fellows  were  lost ;  but,  won- 
derful to  relate,  others,  by  leaping  over  the  taffrail 
at  the  moment  they  felt  it  lifting  under  their  feet, 
were  saved  and  picked  up  by  their  friends.  It  was 
considered  useless  to  pursue  the  fugitives  :  the 
prisoners  taken  were  those  picked  up  in  the  water, 
and  a  few  found  wounded  on  shore.  Securing  them, 
and  attending  to  the  wounded  of  both  parties,  as 
well  a  a  collecting  some  of  the  booty,  had  caused 


16-4  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

the  delay.  The  guns  also  planted  by  the  pirate* 
at  the  two  points  of  land  on  either  side  of  the 
bight,  were  spiked  and  thrown  into  the  water ; 
and  all  arms  found  about  were  carried  off. 

Such  was  the  end  of  the  Foam ;  and  such  will, 
in  every  case,  probably  be  the  concluding  scene  of 
piratical  craft  and  their  crews  now-a-days.  They 
certainly  deserve  no  better ;  and  although  their 
captains,  to  rise  to  that  unenviable  post,  must 
possess  some  of  those  fiercer  qualities,  which  people 
are  apt  to  admire,  I  have  no  fancy  for  making  them 
interesting  characters,  or  heroes  of  romance. 

On  hearing  that  there  was  a  considerable  amount 
of  booty  on  shore,  the  captain  despatched  fresh 
hands  to  bring  it  off.  I  longed  to  caution  them 
that  Hawk,  if  he  was  alive,  was  a  man  very  likely 
to  play  them  a  trick ;  but  I  had  no  opportunity  of 
doing  so  till  they  had  gone.  The  boats  were  sent 
away,  and  I  was  afterwards  had  up  for  examination. 
I  then,  as  the  schooner  was  destroyed,  no  longer 
felt  myself  bound  by  my  oath  to  keep  silence  ;  I 
therefore  gave  a  rapid  sketch  of  my  adventures,  as 
the  best  way  of  accounting  for  being  found  in  such 
bad  company.  The  captain  laughed  at  my  state- 
ments, which,  he  said,  were  altogether  incredible, 
and  assured  me  that  he  fully  believed  that  I  de 
served  hanging  as  much  as  the  rest. 

I  assured  him  that  I  had  not  deceived  him,  and 
requested  him  to  confront  the  negro,  Mark  An- 
thony, with  me,  and  that  he  would  corroborate  all 
my  assertions.  Had  I  known  more  of  the  worst 
part  of  human  nature,  I  might  not  have  made  thig 
request.  When  the  black  was  brought  up,  he  gave 
a  malicious  grin  at  me,  and  putting  his  han.l  on  his 
heart,  assured  the  captain  and  officers,  that,  as  he 
Bpoke  the  truth,  I  was  the  most  wicked  vicious 
youngster  on  board  the  schooner,  to  which  he  kne* 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE,    AND    ADVEN1URES.      165 

that  it  -was  useless  to  deny  that  he  belonged — 
that  he  was  perfectly  innocent  of  any  piratical  act, 
having  been  carried  off  to  act  as  cook — that  he  had 
at  first  taken  an  interest  in  me,  and  had  done  his 
best  to  reform  me,  but  in  vain  ;,  and  that  lately  he 
had  given  my  case  up  as  hopeless. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  lately  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Just  de  last  six  months,  or  so,"  he  answered 
with  the  greatest  effrontery. 

"I  beg,  gentlemen,  that  this  answer  may  be 
noted  ;  for  I  hope  to  be  able  to  prove  that  I  have 
not  been  on  board  the  schooner  as  many  weeks,''  I 
said,  with  a  calm  voice,  which  had,  I  think,  some 
effect  on  my  hearers. 

There  was  such  a  mass  of  false  swearing  and 
contradictory  evidence  taken  during  the  examina- 
tion, that  the  naval  officers  were  compelled  to  re- 
serve any  judgment  on  the  case  till  they  should 
arrive  in  port,  when  it  might  be  handed  over  to  the 
lawyers  to  sift  to  the  bottom.  Greatly  to  my  sa- 
tisfaction, the  boats  returned  laden  with  further 
goods  taken  from  the  Mary ;  but  it  required  two 
more  trips  before  they  could  all  be  brought  off 
The  task  was  at  last  accomplished,  without  any  of 
the  pirates  having  made  their  appearance,  and  sail 
was  then  made  to  the  northward. 

I  found  that  our  destination  was  Charleston,  to 
which  port  the  brig  belonged,  and  where  my  trial, 
and  that  of  the  other  prisoners  would  take  place. 
Had  it  been  New  Orleans,  I  thought  I  might  have 
been  able  to  prove  that  I  had  gone  to  sea  in  the 
Susannah,  and  Captain  Searle  might  be  found,  who 
would  give  a  favorable  account  of  me.  While  I  was 
thinking  of  this,  I  suddenly  \>egan  to  reflect,  thai 
perhaps  Captain  Searle  might  turn  upon  me  as  the 
African  had  done,  though  for  a  diffeient  reason. 
He  wruld  be  able  to  prove  that  I  was  at  Now  Or- 


166  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

jeans  certainly,  but  then  the  Foam  was  there  at 
the  same  time.  She  had  watched,  attacked,  and 
robbed  him,  and  taken  out  of  his  vessel  me  and 
another  person,  who  without  any  unwillingness  had 
turned  pirate,  so  that  I  had  perhaps  all  along  been 
in  league  with  the  freebooters,  and  my  pretended 
ignorance  of  Hawk  and  his  craft  might  have  been 
all  sham.  I  might,  indeed,  be  considered,  as  the 
negro  declared  I  was,  worse  than  all  the  rest. 

As  I  reflected  on  these  things,  I  remembered 
that  my  destiny  was  in  the  hands  of  a  higher  power 
— that  I  had  acted  rightly,  according  to  the  best  of 
my  belief — and  that  he  would  direct  all  things  for 
my  future  good.  This  feeling  gave  me  strength  to 
endure  the  present,  and  confidence  in  the  future. 
I  have  thus  invariably  found  it  in  all  the  affairs  of 
life.  When  I  have  conscientiously  done  my  duty, 
though  inconveniences  and  annoyances  may  have 
apparently  happened  in  consequence,  the  end  has 
always  been  fortunate  when  I  have  been  able  to 
arrive  at  the  result.  The  consequence  of  many  of 
our  acts,  we  must  remember,  is  yet  in  the  eternal 
future,  unfathomed  by  mortal  ken.  To  that  time 
we  must  look  forward  for  the  reward  of  any  of  our 
acts  which  may  be  considered  by  our  beneficent 
Father  worthy  of  reward ;  and  also,  to  that  time 
(we  must  not  conceal  from  ourselves),  for  punish- 
ment for  our  misdeeds,  unless  our  Saviour  merci- 
fully intercede  for  us. 

Our  voyage  to  Charleston  was  very  rapid.  I 
certainly  was  in  no  hurry  to  have  it  over,  when  I 
had  so  disagreeable  a  prospect  before  me  as  a  trial, 
and  not  impossibly  an  execution.  I  was  treated 
with  less  harshness  than  the  rest  of  the  prisoners, 
perhaps  on  account  of  my  youth — perhaps  because 
some  believed  me  innocent.  1  fain  hoped  on  the 
latter  account. 


HIS    F.ARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVKNTURES.       ITS  i 

At  length  we  arrived.  I  will  not  stop  to  de- 
su'ibe  Charleston.  It  is  a  fine  flourishing  city, 
with  a  dock-yard,  where  many  of  the  ships  of  the 
American  navy  are  built.  I  saw  little  of  it,  for 
Boon  after  the  Neptune  had  dropped  her  anchor,  I 
was  conveyed,  with  the  other  prisoners,  on  shore 
to  gaol. 

The  Americans  are  as  fond,  fortunately,  of  the 
go-ahead  system  in  law  as  they  are  in  everything 
else.  In  the  settlements,  founded  by  Spain  and 
Portugal,  we  might  have  been  kept  six  months 
without  being  brought  into  court ;  here,  before  as 
many  days  were  over,  our  trial  commenced.  The 
fate  of  those  taken  in  the  schooner  was  easily  set- 
tled. Several  robberies  were  proved  against  them  •,' 
and  she  was  sworn  to  as  the  same  vessel  which  had 
fired  into  the  brig  off  the  coast  of  Cuba,  and  had 
there  carried  the  pirate  flag,  besides  having  also 
killed  and  wounded  several  officers  and  men  in  thy 
United  States'  navy. 

The  trial  of  the  people  in  the  boat  next  came  on. 
The  others  swore  that  we  belonged  to  the  schoon- 
er ;  and  the  negro,  in  the  bitterness  of  his  feelings 
against  me,  had  acknowledged  the  same.  I  told 
my  history  as  my  best  defence. 

"  Ask  him  if  he  can  swear  he  no  fire  de  big  guns 
— he  no  pull  and  haul — when  we  fight  de  brig," 
exclaimed  the  malignant  black,  perfectly  indiffer- 
ent to  his  own  fate.  I  held  my  peace. 

"  Prisoner  at  the  bar,  can  you  swear  that  you  did 
not  aid  and  abet  those  engaged  in  making  unlaw- 
ful war  against  the  United  States  brig  Neptune  ?" 

"  I  cannot  swear  to  that ;  because,  in  a  fatal  fit 
of  forgetfulness,  seeing  every  one  excited  around 
ane,  I  might  have  pulled  and  hauled  at  the  ropes 
of  the  schooner." 

"An  acknowledgment  of  his  guilt,"  exclaimed 


168 


PETER    THE    WHALER, 


the  counsel  for  the  Government ;  and  I,  with  all 
the  rest,  was  adjudged  to  be  hung  at  the  end  of  the 
week  at  the  yard-arm  of  the  brig  which  had  cap- 
tured us.  Never  was  a  nest  of  more  atrocious 
pirates  broken  up,  said  the  public  papers  comment- 
ing on  the  trial,  and  never  were  men  adjudged  to 
meet  a  more  deserved  doom. 

Now  the  reader  will  almost  be  prepared  to  know 
how  I  was  saved.  I  must  own  that  I  never  expect- 
ed to  be  hung.  I  felt  that  I  was  innocent,  and  I 
trusted  that  some  means  would  be  offered  for  my 
escape. 

Just  as  I  was  being  led  out  of  court  there  wa3 
a  cry  of  "  Witnesses  !  witnesses  for  the  trial  of 
the  pirates  !"  Looking  up,  I  saw  several  seafaring 
men  entering  the  court,  and  among  them  two  per- 
sons, whose  appearance,  at  that  juncture,  made  my 
heart  leap  into  my  mouth  with  joy  and  gratitude, 
and  prove  that  the  finger  of  God  had  directed  their 
coming.  Need  I  say  that  they  were  Captain  Dean 
and  Mary,  and  that  the  other  people  were  the  crew 
of  the  barque,  released  from  the  power  of  the  pi- 
rates by  my  means. 

Their  story  created  a  great  sensation  in  court ; 
and  Captain  Dean  was  ready  to  swear,  from  his 
knowledge  of  me,  that  I  had  no  willing  participa- 
tion in  any  of  the  acts  of  the  pirates.  My  story 
was  now  believed ;  but  I  had  acknowledged  having 
worked  the  guns  in  the  action  with  the  brig,  and  I 
had,  by  the  evidence  of  all  present,  willingly,  anu 
of  my  own  accord,  rejoined  the  pirates,  though  every 
opportunity  had  been  offered  me  of  escaping. 

I  urged  my  oath  ip  extenuation  of  my  conduct, 
and  that  I  was  bound  to  return.  This  wns  not  held 
in  law  to  be  any  excuse.  I  had  no  business  to  take 
an  oath  of  that  nature,  it  was  asserted  by  tho  coun- 
sel for  the  Government.  The  sentence  of  death 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    ANlJ    ADVENTURES.       169 

against  me  was,  however,  rescinded,  on  account  of 
the  many  extenuating  circumstances  brought  for- 
ward in  my  favor  ;  but  still  I  could  not  be  set  at 
liberty. 

The  sentence  of  the  people  who  had  been  found 
with  me  in  the  boat  was  afterwards  commuted  to 
imprisonment  for  fourteen  years  ;  and  I  was  offered 
a  conditional  pardon,  provided  I  would  volunteer  to 
serve  for  two  years  on  board  a  ship  of  war  just 
then  about  to  sail  and  short  of  hands. 

I  was  sorry  to  be  again  thus  separated  from 
Captain  Dean  and  Mary  ;  but  as  I  had  no  dread  of 
the  service,  I,  without  much  hesitation,  accepted 
the  offer.  "  I  will  do  my  duty  and  retrieve  my 
character,"  I  thought ;  "  and  as,  I  trust,  there  13 
no  chance  of  a  war  with  England,  I  see  no  reason 
to  prevent  me." 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

Sails  in  the  Pocahontas  for  the  North  Seas. — An  account  of  an 
American  Man-of-war. — I  become  acquainted  with  Andrew 
Thompson. — He  describes  Labrador  to  me. — The  history  of 
Princess  Pocahontas. — A  Man  overboard. — How  to  behave  in 
the  Water. 

THE  next  day  I  found  myself  transferred  on 
board  the  United  States  corvette,  Pocahontas,  of 
twenty  guns,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  includ- 
ing officers,  marines,  and  petty  officers.  I  found 
that  she  was  bound  to  the  North  seas,  to  look  after 
the  interests  of  the  United  States  fisheries.  She 
was  strongly  built  and  strengthened,  so  as  to  con- 
tend with  the  bad  weather  she  might  expect  to 
meet,  and  the  loose  ice  she  was  also  likely  to  en- 
15  o 


170  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

counter.  I  shall  describe  her  more  particularly 
by-and-bye. 

The  day  after  I  had  become  one  of  her  crew, 
while  I  was  below,  I  was  informed,  that  a  person 
was  alongside,  inquiring  for  me.  I  looked  over  the 
side  ;  and  there  I  saw,  as  I  expected,  Captain  Dean 
and  Mary.  They  came  on  deck ;  and  Mary  was 
very  nearly  throwing  her  arms  about  my  neck  and 
kissing  me,  while  her  father  took  both  my  hands 
and  held  them  in  his. 

"  I  owe  everything  to  you,  Peter,"  he  said,  and 
the  tears  stood  in  his  eyes  ;  "  my  life  and  property, 
and  more,  the  safety  of  this  dear  child ;  and  I  do 
feel  most  cruelly  not  being  able  to  make  you  any 
return.  In  England,  the  sovereign  would  have 
given  you  a  free  pardon,  to  a  certainty  ;  here,  in 
such  a  case  as  yours,  we  have  no  one  to  appeal  to. 
I  have  introduced  myself  to  your  captain  ;  and,  as 
he  seems  a  kind  man,  I  trust  he  will  interest  him- 
self in  you.  I  beg  to  offer  you  an  outfit,  which  I 
have  brought  on  board  ;  and  I  fear  that  there  is 
little  else  I  can  do  for  you.  When  you  come  back, 
I  shall  be  on  the  look-out  for  you  :  and  then  you 
must  fulfil  your  promise  of  sailing  with  me.  Make 
yourself  a  thorough  seaman  in  the  mean  time  ;  and 
I  think  I  can  promise  you  very  soon  the  command 
of  a  ship." 

Mary  joined  in,  and  entreated  me  first  to  take 
care  of  myself,  and  then  to  come  back  to  Charleston, 
to  rejoin  them. 

"  You  know,  Peter,  I  shall  be  nearly  grown  up 
by  that  time,"  she  said,  in  her  sweet,  innocent,  and 
lively  manner,  though  she  was  half-crying  at  the 
time.  "  Then,  you  know,  if  you  become  first  mate, 
I  shall  be  able  to  act  as  father's  second  mate  :  so 
we  shall  have  quite  a  family  party  on  board  the 
dear  old  ship." 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       171 

Thus  we  talked  on,  joking,  often  through  our 
Borrows,  till  it  was  time  for  my  friends  to  go  on 
shore.  With  heavy  hearts  we  parted.  Had  we 
been  able  to  see  the  future,  how  much  heavier 
would  they  have  been.  I  found,  in  the  chest  which 
they  had  brought  me,  numberless  little  things, 
which  all  told  of  sweet  Mary's  care  and  fore- 
thought. I  had  just  time  to  write  a  few  hasty 
lines  to  my  family,  but  the  letter  never  reached 
home.  While  I  was  in  prison,  and  my  fate  uncer- 
tain. I  dared  not  write. 

The  next  morning,  at  break  of  day,  the  boat- 
swain's whistle  roused  me  from  my  slumbers,  and 
his  gruff  voice  was  heard,  bawling  out,  "  All  hands 
up  anchor  ;"  followed  with  another  pipe,  of  "  Man 
the  capstan." 

To  a  person  accustomed  to  the  merchant-service, 
where,  from  the  few  hands  which  can  be  employed, 
the  duty  must  be  carried  on  slowly  and  cautiously, 
the  work  on  board  a  man-of-war  appears  as  if  done 
almost  by  magic.  The  rapidity  and  certainty  of 
action  is  gained  only  by  great  arrangement,  method, 
and  practice.  Every  man  on  board  has  his  proper 
post  and  particular  duties  ;  and  all  are  accustomed 
to  listen  for,  and  obey,  the  signal  of  command,  be  it 
the  human  voice,  the  boatswain's  pipe,  a  peculiar 
flag,  or  the  report  of  a  great  gun  or  musket.  The 
crew  are  separated  into  two  divisions,  with  their  re- 
spective officers  ;  these  divisions  are  called  watches 
— the  starboard  and  larboard — because  one  does 
duty,  or  watches,  while  the  other  rests  below. 

On  important  occasions,  when  greater  strength 
ie  required,  or  it  is  necessary  to  shorten  sail  in  a 
hurry,  or  danger  is  apprehended,  both  watches,  or 
all  hands,  are  called.  Thus,  getting  under  weigh, 
or  going  into  harbor,  or  at  divisions  and  quarters, 
all  hands  are  at  their  proper  posts  at  the  saiu? 


172  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

time.  Each  top  has  its  proper  crew,  who  are  known 
as  foretop-men,  maintop-men,  and  mizeutop-men, 
whose  duty  it  is  to  tend  the  sails  above  them.  On 
deck,  there  are  the  sheet-anchor-men,  stationed  on 
the  forecastle,  whose  duty  is  to  tend  the  head- 
sails,  anchors,  etc.,  and,  consequently  the  most 
trustworthy  veterans  are  selected  for  the  office.  In 
what  is  called  the  waist,  or  the  centre  of  the  ship, 
the  land's-men,  and  least  skillful  of  the  crew  are 
placed.  They  have  to  pull  and  haul  with  the 
marines,  and  to  clean  the  decks,  and  to  do  various 
ignoble  duties  below.  From  the  part  of  the  ship 
where  they  are  stationed,  they  are  called  waisters. 
The  after -guard  are  stationed  on  the  quarter-deck, 
and  have  to  tend  the  spanker,  and  other  after-sails, 
and  to  haul  the  main-brace. 

The  officers  are  divided  into  commissioned  offi- 
cers ;  namely,  the  captain  and  the  lieutenants,  the 
master,  surgeon,  and  purser  ;  the  warrant-officers, 
who  are  boatswain,  gunner  and  carpenter,  and  the 
midshipmen ;  and,  lastly,  the  petty-officers,  who 
have  their  rating  given  them  on  board  ship  by  the 
captain  or  first  lieutenant,  and  may  be  equally  dis- 
rated by  them. 

There  are  slight  variations  in  the  British  and 
United  States  navies :  but  the  latter  has  adhered 
very  closely  to  the  customs  of  the  former ;  and 
however  republican  our  well-beloved  cousins  may 
be  on  shore,  afloat  they  wisely  carry  out  the  prin- 
ciples of  an  absolute  monarchy  in  the  most  perfect 
manner. 

There  are  certain  general  duties,  in  which  all 
hands  are  engaged,  and  in  which  each  has  a  mini 
ber.  Thus  a  man  has  one  number  at  mess,  another 
at  quarters,  and  another  at  divisions.  Discipline 
is  everything  on  board  a  man-of-war.  Without  it 
such  a  mass  of  people  could  not  possibly  be  moved 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       173 

together,  and  all  would  be  confusion  and  constant 
disaster.  There  must  be  a  head  to  command,  eithef 
worn  by  the  captain  or  first  lieutenant.  If  the  lat- 
ter is  a  good  seaman,  all  may  go  well  in  spite  of 
the  incapacity  of  his  superior  ;  but  a  clever  captain 
will  never  submit  to  have  a  stupid  first,  so  that  it 
is  seldom  that  the  office  of  first  lieutenant  is  held 
by  other  than  a  good  seaman.  It  would  take  up 
too  much  space,  were  I  to  attempt  to  describe  all 
the  grades  and  offices  on  board  a  man-of-war.  It 
will  suffice,  when  I  state,  that  every  man  has  his 
proper  place,  and  that  one  follows  the  other  in 
rank,  down  to  the  lowest  rated  officer.  I  was  rated 
as  an  able  seaman,  which  I  considered  a  high  honor, 
considering  the  little  knowledge  I  felt  myself  to 
possess,  and  was  placed  in  the  after-guard.  I  had 
to  take  my  trick  at  the  helm,  which  I  was  also  glad 
of,  as  it  enabled  me  to  perfect  myself  in  steering. 

The  commander,  Captain  Gierstien,  was  a  man 
who  had  seen  much  of  the  world,  and  was,  I  have 
reason  to  believe,  a  very  good  seaman  ;  so  was  Mr. 
Stunt,  the  first  lieutenant,  who  was  a  disciplinarian 
of  the  most  rigid  school ;  and  certainly  the  ship 
was  in  very  good  order  as  a  man-of-war.  But  there 
Was  a  sad  want  of  any  of  the  milder  influences  which 
govern  human  beings.  Kind  words  and  considerate 
treatment  were  not  to  be  found.  This  I  soon  dis- 
covered ;  and  it  seemed  as  if  a  leaden  weight  were 
attached  to  my  heart — strict  regulations,  the  cat, 
and  fear  did  everything.  How  the  second  lieutenant, 
Mr.  Dunning,  contrived  to  gain  his  rank  I  do  not 
know,  for  he  was  nothing  at  all  of  a  practical  sea- 
man |  but  then  he  spouted  poetry,  and  wrote  versei 
in  praise  of  freedom ;  arid  this  talent,  I  conclude, 
had  gained  him  his  appointment,  though,  by-the- 
bye,  the  verses  appeared  to  me  very  bad. 

There  were  several  of  my  own  messmates  witb 
o» 


174  PETER    THE    WHALER; 

whom  I  became  intimate.  Though  rough  in  man 
ner,  they  were  kind  of  heart ;  and  I  will  say  of  two 
or  three  of  them,  that  all  their  sentiments  were 
such  as  no  gentleman  need  have  been  ashamed  of 
possessing.  I  found  them  both  agreeable  and  in- 
Btructive  companions ;  and  I  was  glad  to  enjoy  their 
friendship,  the  more  from  the  very  want  of  kindly 
feelings  which  prevailed  generally  throughout  the 
ship.  Andrew  Thompson  was  my  greatest  chum. 
He  was  a  true-hearted  seaman,  every  inch  of  him. 
He  had  been  all  his  life  at  sea,  and  had  had  his 
eyes  open,  as  the  saying  is,  all  the  time.  He  used 
to  take  great  delight  in  describing  the  countries  he 
had  visited,  and  the  ports  and  harbors  in  which  he 
had  brought  up ;  as  also  in  giving  me  instruction 
n  all  branches  of  seamanship. 

My  other  friend  was  called  Terence  O'Connor, 
in  Irishman  as  his  name  betokens,  with  all  the 
good  qualities  generally  ascribed  to  the  natives  of 
that  country.  He  liked  me,  as  being  a  countryman, 
in  the  first  place ;  and,  secondly,  because  I  liked 
him.  He  was  still  young,  and  had  nothing  of  the 
mentor  about  him  like  Thompson.  He  was  brave, 
and  true  as  steel.  I  should  not  say  that  he  was  a 
first-rate  seaman ;  but  he  was  active  and  energetic, 
and  knew  how  to  obey — indeed,  he  was  a  capital 
hand  to  have  as  a  mate. 

There  was  also  an  English  lad  I  liked  much, 
Tom  Stokes  by  name.  He  was  not  very  bright, 
and  he  used  to  be  sadly  bullied  by  the  crew ;  but 
as  I  was  strong,  I  could,  and  did,  protect  him,  and 
his  gratitude  won  my  regard.  He  had  been  tolera- 
bly well  educated  ;  and  being  fond  of  reading,  with 
a  retentive  memory,  he  possessed  a  good  deal  of 
information.  Left  an  orphan,  without  a  friend  in 
the  world,  he  had  come  to  sea;  and,  quitting  hia 
ship  at  Charleston,  he  had  entered  on  board  th« 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       175 

Pocahontas.  I  mention  these  three  of  my  ship- 
mates for  reasons  which  will  hereafter  be  seen.  1 
had  several  other  friends,  whom  I  liked  more,  per- 
haps, than  Tom  Stokes,  and  as  much  as  O'Connor; 
but  I  need  not  describe  them. 

We  had  fine  weather  on  first  putting  to  sea,  and 
had  thus  time  to  let  everything  shake  into  its  place 
before  a  gale  came  on.  It  was  early  in  the  year ; 
but  for  some  reason  or  other  we  were  ordered  to  get 
northward  as  fast  as  we  could.  For  the  first  week 
we  had  calms ;  and  then  the  wind  came  ahead  so 
that  our  progress  was  very  slow.  Instead  of  run- 
ning through  the  gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  we  were  to 
keep  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Newfoundland,  and  to 
approach  the  northern  shore  of  Labrador. 

"  You'll  want  your  Flushing  jacket  and  trowsers, 
not  forgetting  worsted  socks  and  gloves,  my  boy, 
when  you  get  there,"  said  Thompson,  who  gave  me 
this  information.  "  You've  never  felt  anything  like 
the  cold,  nor  seen  anything  like  the  fogs,  to  be  found 
in  those  parts." 

He  told  me  that  few  Europeans  had  settled  on 
the  coast  of  Labrador  ;  but  that  some  Moravian 
missionaries  were  stationed  at  four  or  five  spots, 
for  the  purpose  of  converting  the  Esquimaux  to 
Christianity.  "  Those  must  be  Christians,  indeed, 
to  my  mind,  who  will  go  and  live  in  such  a  climate, 
for  the  sake  of  teaching  their  religion  to  the  igno- 
rant heathen,  who  would  not,  otherwise,  have  a 
chance  of  having  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  preached 
to  them,"  he  observed ;  and  I  agreed  with  him. 
"  I've  been  told,"  he  continued,  "  that  during  the 
winter,  the  thermometer  often  falls  30  below  the 
freezing  point ;  and  though  the  houses  of  the  mis- 
sionaries are  heated  by  stoves,  the  windows  and 
walls  are  covered  all  the  time  with  ice,  and  the  bcd- 
clrthes  freeze  to  the  walls.  Rum  is  frozen  in  the 


176  PETER    THE    WHALE*, 

air  as  rapidly  as  water,  and  rectified  spirits 
become  thick  like  oil.  From  December  to  June 
the  sea  is  so  completely  frozen  over  that  no  open 
water  is  to  be  seen.  Once  some  of  the  missionaries 
ventured,  in  February,  to  visit  some  Esquimaux, 
forty  miles  distant ;  and.  although  wrapped  in  furs, 
they  were  nearly  destroyed.  Their  eyelids  froze 
together,  so  that  they  were  continually  obliged  to 
pull  them  asunder,  and,  by  constantly  rubbing^  pre- 
vent their  closing;  while  one  of  them  had  his  hands 
frozen  and  swollen  up  like  bladders.  During  their 
short  summer,  however,  the  heat  is  excessive ;  and 
musquitoes,  in  swarms,  infest  the  air." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  not  have  long  to  remain  in  those 
regions,"  I  remarked. 

"I  hope  not,"  said  Thompson;  "but  who  can 
tell.  Ships,  when  they  get  into  the  ice,  cannot  al- 
ways get  out  again,  and  some  have  been  frozen  up 
for  several  years  together  ;  yet,  by  proper  precau- 
tions, few  of  the  people  on  board  have  died,  and  at 
length  have  returned  to  their  friends  and  country." 

"  It  must  be  very  dreary  work,  Andrew,  having 
nothing  but  the  ice  and  snow  to  look  at  for  such  a 
length  of  time  together,"  I  remarked. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  Peter,  when  you  have  lived 
as  long  as  I  have,  you  will  discover,  I  hope,  that 
it  is  not  what  one  sees  on  the  outside,  so  much  as 
what  is  in  the  inside,  of  a  man,  which  makes  him  hap- 
py and  contented,  or  the  contrary,"  said  Andrew. 
"  Now  I  have  met  several  men,  who.  have  passed 
two  winters  running  in  those  regions,  when  the 
sun  was  not  to  be  seen  for  months  together,  and  ice 
and  snow  was  all  around  them  ;  but  the  captain 
and  officers  being  kind,  and  doing  everything  to 
amuse  them  and  to  take  care  of  their  health,  they 
assured  me  they  never  enjoyed  themselves  more  ID 
their  lives." 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       17? 

"  I  would  rather  not  try  it,  in  our  present  ship.' 

"  Nor  would  I,  Peter,"  said  Andrew  ;  and  the 
subject  dropped. 

"  What  an  odd  name  they  have  given  to  our 
ship,"  I  remarked  one  day,  when  Tom  Stokes  waa 
near ;  "  I  cannot  think  where  it  comes  from." 

"01  can  tell  you,  Peter,"  said  Tom,  sitting  down 
close  to  me.  "  I  read,  some  time  ago,  a  history  of 
North  America  ;  and  I  remember  meeting  with  the 
name  of  Pocahontas.  You  must  know,  that  she  was 
an  Indian  princess,  that  is  to  say,  she  was  the 
daughter  of  a  powerful  chief,  inhabiting  that  part 
of  the  country  which  is  now  the  state  of  Virginia. 
A  small  body  of  English  had  settled  there,  with  a 
governor,  a  handsome  young  man.  placed  over  them. 
They  were  cultivating  the  ground,  and  building 
houses,  in  fancied  security,  when  the  Indians  at- 
tacked them,  killed  some,  and  carried  off  others, 
among  whom  was  the  governor,  as  prisoners.  It 
was  the  custom  of  the  Indians  to  torture  their 
prisoners  in  the  most  dreadful  way,  before  killing 
them.  Such  was  to  be  the  lot  of  the  governor ; 
but,  fortunately  for  him,  he  was  seen  by  Pocahon- 
tas, who  instantly  fell  in  love  with  him,  and  inter- 
ceded for  his  life  with  her  father.  The  prayer  was 
granted,  on  condition  that  he  would  become  her 
husband.  He  was  too  glad  to  accept  his  life  on 
such  terms  ;  for  the  young  lady  was  very  beautiful, 
and  he  would  thereby  form  an  alliance  with  a  very 
powerful  tribe,  and  secure  his  countrymen  from 
further  molestation.  He  became  much  attached  tc 
his  beautiful  and  faithful  bride  ;  and,  having  suc- 
ceeded in  converting  her  to  Christianity,  he  mar- 
ried her  according  to  the  rites  of  the  church. 
From  this  union  sprung  some  of  the  most  respec- 
table and  wealthy  families  of  the  state." 

I  thanked  Tom  for  his  story  ;    and  agreed,  thai 


178  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

the  Princess  Pocahontas  ought  to  be  held  in  rever* 
ence  by  all  true  Virginians.  Our  conversation  was 
interrupted  by  the  cry  of  "All  hands,  shorten 
sail !"  We  sprang  on  deck.  A  heavy  gale  had 
come  on  ;  and  the  ship  was  heeling  over  to  her 
scuppers  under  it.  I  was  aloft  in  an  instant,  help- 
ing to  reef  the  mizentop-sail ;  the  topgallant-sails 
and  courses  had  been  clewed  up. 

The  wind  was  about  north-west,  and  blew  very 
cold.  The  leaden  waves  rose  sullenly  on  every 
side,  topped  with  hissing  foam,  and  every  instant 
they  leaped  higher  and  higher,  as  if  lashing  them- 
selves into  fury.  The  twilight  of  evening  was  just 
giving  way  to  the  gloom  of  night.  I  never  re- 
member a  more  dismal-looking  close  to  a  day. 

We  had  managed  to  close-reef  the  mizentop- 
sail  ;  but  the  maintop-sail,  which  was  more  diffi- 
cult to  manage,  was  still  bulging  out  above  the 
yard,  the  hands  oa  which  it  threatened  every  in- 
stant to  strike  off,  as  the  ship,  with  desperate  force, 
kept  plunging  her  bows  into  the  opposing  seas. 

"  Come,  bear  a  hand,  with  that  maintop-sail, 
there,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Stunt,  through  his  speaking- 
trumpet  ;  "  or" — 

What  he  was  going  to  say,  I  know  not ;  for,  at 
ihat  instant,  there  arose  the  fearful  cry  of  "  A  mas 
overboard — a  man  overboard  !" 

It  sounded  like  the  knell  of  a  fellow-being.  Cap- 
tain Gierstien  was  on  deck.  I  was  near  him. 

"  If  I  lower  a  boat,  I  shall  lose  some  other  brave 
fellows,"  he  exclaimed,  aloud,  though  he  was  speak 
ing  to  himself. 

"  We'll  gladly  risk  our  lives  to  save  him,  sir,1; 
cried  two  or  three  who  were  near  him  ;  '•  it's  O'Con- 
nor, it's  Terry  O'Connor !" 

"  So  would  I/'  escaped  from  my  lips.     I  had  at 


HIS    EA11LY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       177 

all  events  intended  to  have  volunteered  to  go  in  the 
boat. 

"  Down  with  the  helm  !  Back  the  maintop-sail !" 
exclaimed  the  captain  in  the  same  breath.  "  Stand 
by  to  lower  a  boat ;  but  hold  fast.  Can  any  of 
you  see  or  hear  him  ?"  The  ship  was  hove  to,  and 
all  hands  stood  peering  into  the  gloom  and  trying 
to  catch  a  sound  of  a  voice.  O'Connor  was  a  first- 
rate  swimmer,  and  he  was  not  a  man  to  yield  to 
death  without  a  struggle — that  we  knew. 

It  must  be  understood  that,  though  several  sen- 
tences were  spoken,  not  thirty  seconds  had  elapsed 
after  he  had  struck  the  water,  before  the  order  to 
heave  the  ship  to  was  given.  She  was  also  going 
but  slowly  through  the  water  ;  though  from  the 
way  she  was  tumbling  about,  a  landsman  might 
have  supposed  she  was  moving  at  a  great  rate. 

"  Does  any  one  see  him  ?"  asked  the  captain. 
Alas  !  in  that  dark  night  even  the  sharpest  eyes 
on  board  could  not  discern  so  small  an  object  as  a 
man's  head  floating  amid  those  troubled  waters. 

"  Does  any  one  see  him  ?"  There  was  a  dead 
silence.  The  hopelessness  of  the  case  struck  a 
chill  through  all  our  hearts.  Two  minutes — three 
passed  away.  We  continued  from  all  parts  of  the 
ship  peering  into  the  darkness  ;  some  to  windward, 
others  to  leeward,  and  others  astern.  Now  I  thought 
I  saw  something,  but  it  was  the  dark  top  of  a  wave 
under  the  glistening  foam.  Five  minutes  had 
elapsed  since  the  accident.  Long  before  this  the 
ship  must  have  left  him  far  astern,  and  he  must 
have  sunk  beneath  those  heavy  waves.  Such  was 
the  feeling  gaining  possession  of  many. 

Again  the  captain  made  the  final  inquiry.  "  Does 
any  one  yet  see  him  ?"  An  ominous  silence  g;ive 
the  sid  response.  "  Then  it  is  hopeless  wafting 


180  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

longer.  Fill  the  maintop-sail.  Up  with  the 
helm." 

Scarcely  had  the  captain  uttered  these  words  in 
a  loud  voice,  than  a  hand  in  the  maintop  hailed 
the  deck  with  the  words :  "  I  hear  a  voice  from 
down  to  leeward,  sir." 

I  had  heard  it  also ;  I  was  certain.  It  was 
O'Connor's  manly  voice.  It  was  not  a  shriek,  the 
death-wail  of  a  struggling  wretch,  but  a  bold,  ner- 
vous hail. 

"  Hold  fast  then  with  the  maintop-sail  braces," 
cried  the  captain.  There  was  no  need  of  that  order 
by-the-bye.  "  Keep  the  helm  down.  Stand  by  to 
loAver  the  starboard  quarter-boat."  It  was  the  lee 
one. 

"  Volunteers,  away  !"  Several  sprung  to  the 
falls.  I  was  among  the  first ;  so  was  Tom  Derrick, 
an  active  young  topman.  He  leaped  into  the  bow 
as  the  boat  was  being  lowered  ;  I  into  the  stern  to 
unhook  the  after  falls  ;  the  rest  of  the  volunteer 
crew  followed.  The  boat  was  lifting  and  pitching 
with  fearful  violence  alongside  to  the  great  risk 
of  being  swamped.  Poor  Derrick  stood  up  to  clear 
the  falls,  I  believe,  or  to  fend  off  the  bow  of  the 
boat  from  the  ship's  side.  I  saw  his  figure  in  an 
erect  position  for  an  instant — the  boat's  bow  pitched 
into  a  sea — the  next  instant  he  was  gone.  In  vain 
the  man  close  to  him  tried  to  grasp  him.  He  went 
down  like  a  shot ;  not  a  cry  was  heard,  not  a  siga 
of  him  was  again  seen. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost,  if  we  would  save 
O'Connor.  Every  moment  the  fury  of  the  gale  was 
increasing.  Our  oars  were  out,  and  over  the  foam- 
ing sea  we  pulled  in  the  direction  whence  the 
voice  had  come.  The  ship  rose  towering  astern  of 
us,  her  dark  masts  lifting  and  falling  against  the 
leaden  sky.  By  her  we  guided  our  course.  ~\Y* 


HIS    EARLY    L  FE    AND    ADVENTURES.       18J 

thought  we  must  have  reached  the  spot,  where 
O'Connor  should  have  been. 

"  Be  alive,  ship-mates,"  said  a  voice  close  to  us  ; 
"  in.  bow  oar,  and  lend  us  a  hand."  It  was  O'Con- 
nor's voice.  He  was  swimming  with  perfect  com- 
posure close  to  us  on  the  top  of  a  wave,  and  strik- 
ing out  toward  the  bows,  so  as  to  avoid  the  stern, 
he  was  with  some  little  difficulty  hauled  on  board ; 
for  he  had  not  a  stitch  of  clothing  on  with  which  we 
could  catch  hold  of  him. 

"  Thank  ye,  shipmates  all,"  he  exclaimed,  as  he 
sprung  into  the  stern-sheets.  "  But  lend  us  a 
jacket  some  one,  will  ye,  for  its  bitter  cold  out  of 
the  water,  and  I've  left  all  mine,  do  ye  see,  for 
Daddy  Neptune,  when  he  wants  a  new  rig-out." 

A  seaman  will  joke  in  the  midst  of  a  furious  en- 
gagement, or  at  other  moments  of  the  greatest 
peril ;  and  I  believe  Terence  was  truly  grateful  to 
the  merciful  Providence  who  had  so  wonderfully 
preserved  him.  We  threw  our  jackets  over  him, 
to  shelter  him  as  well  as  we  could,  and  pulled  back 
as  fast  as  we  were  able  to  the  ship.  There  was 
short  time  for  talking  and  hearing  how  it  had  hap- 
pened, as  may  be  supposed.  We  had  great  diffi- 
culty in  getting  on  board  again,  and  it  required  ex- 
treme caution  to  prevent  the  boat  being  swamped 
along-side.  At  last  we  reached  the  deck,  and  the 
boat  was  hoisted  in. 

"  Why,  you  have'nt  got  him,"  said  the  captain, 
seeing  the  same  number  come  back  as  had  gone 
away  in  the  boat. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  we  answered  ;  "  but  poor  Derrick 
has  gone ;"  and  we  explained  how  our  other  ship- 
mate had  been  lost.  So  there  was  a  sigh  and  a  tear 
for  poor  Derrick,  and  a  cheer  and  congratulations 
for  O'Connor's  preservation. 

Our  captain  ordered  O'Connor  at  once  to  hia 
p 


182  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

hammock,  observing  that  his  nervous  system  mast 
have  received  a  great  shot  k  ;  and  that  he  need  not 
do  duty  for  some  days,  -while  the  surgeon  was  di- 
rected to  see  to  him.  O'Connor  very  gladly  turned 
in ;  and  the  surgeon  feeling  his  pulse,  prescribed 
a  stiff  glass  of  grog,  a  style  of  medicine  of  which 
seamen  most  approve.  After  he  was  made  com- 
fortable, I  went  and  sat  by  him,  and  congratulated 
him  heartily  on  his  preservation. 

"  Why,  you  see,  Peter,  there's  an  old  saying 
about  a  man  not  being  able  to  drown,  who  is  born  to 
finish  his  career  in  another  way,  in  which  a  rope 
plays  a  prominent  part,  but  I  hope  that's  not  true 
in  my  case.  You  must  know,  indeed,  that  when  I 
first  struck  the  water,  as  I  was  hove  off  the  yard, 
I  thought  I  should  escape.  When  I  came  to  the 
top  again,  after  I  had  sunk  some  way  down,  thinks 
I  to  myself  there's  no  use  trying  to  swim  with  all 
this  hamper  of  clothing  about  me,  so  the  first  thing 
I  did  was  to  cast  it  all  adrift,  and  to  kick  off  my 
shoes.  I  had  some  difficulty  in  getting  out  of  my 
jacket,  but  I  succeeded  by  treading  the  water  with 
my  feet  the  while.  Remember.  Peter,  always  have 
your  sea-going  clothes  made  loose,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  throw  them  off  in  a  moment.  You  never  know 
when  you  may  require  to  be  rid  of  them.  When  I 
was  free  of  my  clothes,  I  thought  there  would  be 
no  use  striking  out  and  wearying  myself,  to  try  and 
regain  the  ship,  because  I  saw  that  all  I  could  do 
would  not  bring  me  up  alongside  her  again,  so  I 
threw  myself  on  my  back,  with  my  arms  folded  on 
my  breast,  and  lay  as  quiet  as  a  turtle  basking  in 
the  sun  off  Ascension.  You  know  singing  out  in 
the  water  tires  a  man  almost  as  much  as  struggling 
with  his  arms  and  legs,  so  I  kept  my  voice  also  for 
when  it  was  wanted.  There  was  no  use,  you  see, 
singing  out  at  that  time,  because  I  knew  that  there 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVEN'i  URES.       183 

would  he  a  noise  on  board,  and  people  asking  -who 
had  gone,  and  where  I  was.  I  heard  the  cry  of 
'  a  man  overboard  !'  just  as  I  came  up  to  the  sur- 
face. I  could  see  the  ship  all  the  time,  and  I  was 
glad  to  find  she  did  not  leave  me.  I  don't  mean  to 
say,  Peter,  but  what  my  feelings  were  very  awful, 
for  I  knew  the  difficulty  and  danger  of  lowering  a 
boat ;  but  I  did  not  think  my  shipmates  would 
ever  desert  me,  without  trying  to  pick  me  up. 
There  I  lay,  then,  tossing  on  the  seas,  and  looking 
at  the  ship.  I  hoped  I  should  be  observed,  for  I 
heard  the  captain  ask,  '  Does  any  one  see  him  ?'  I 
being  to  leeward  of  the  ship,  his  voice  reached  me  ; 
but  I  did  not  expect  to  make  any  one  hear  on  board. 
How  long  the  time  appeared  !  At  last  I  heard  the 
order  given  to  fill  the  maintop-sail.  '  Now  or  ne- 
ver,' I  thought ;  and  just  as  I  rose  on  the  summit 
of  a  wave,  I  leaped  as  high  as  I  could,  and  sung 
out  at  the  very  top  of  my  voice.  Never  did  I  shout 
louder,  for  it  mattered  nothing  if  I  burst  my  lungs, 
if  I  was  not  heard.  How  thankful  I  felt,  when  I 
heard  the  order  given  to  lower  a  boat.  My  advice 
to  you,  Peter,  is,  '  Always  keep  your  presence  of 
mind,  and  while  life  remains,  never  despair.' " 


CHAPTER   XX. 

Again  Terence  falls  from  aloft,  and  is  saved. — We  reach  the  North 
Sea. — A  Description  of  some  of  the  Birds  or  those  Regions. — 
I  ara  at  the  Helra. — The  Ship  strikes  an  Iceberg. — Goes  down. 
— The  Marines  firing  on  the  Crew. — A  few  alone  escape. 

THE  Pocahontas  continued  on  her  course  to  the 
northward,  with  variable  weather.  I  believe  we 
had  got  a  considerable  way  to  the  eastward  of 
where  we  should  have  been  :  but  of  that  I  have  nc 


184  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

certain  knDwledge,  as  a  foremast  man  has  no  means 
of  ascertaining  the  ship's  position,  except  when  she 
makes  the  land,  unless  the  officers  choose  to  tell 
him.  At  last  a  fine  westerly  breeze  sprung  up, 
and  we  went  gaily  along. 

Now,  however  incredible  what  I  am  going  to 
relate  may  appear,  especially  as  happening  to 
O'Connor,  yet  it  is,  I  can  assure  my  readers,  per- 
fectly true.  Terence  had  been  s'ent  on  the  foretop- 
gallant-yard,  (what  to  do  I  do  not  recollect,  for  I 
was  aft  at  the  time,)  when,  by  some  means  or  other, 
he  lost  his  hold  and  fell  over  the  yard.  Another 
man,  who  was  on  the  yard  and  saw"  him  fall,  ejacu- 
lated— "  Poor  Terence,  this  time  it's  all  over  with 
him!" 

Falling  from  that  height  on  the  deck,  his  brains 
would  inevitably  have  been  dashed  out  of  his  head  ; 
but,  as  he  fell,  the  hitherto  sluggish  wind  filled  the 
foresail,  on  the  bulge  of  which,  at  the  very  instant 
his  body  striking,  it  was  thrown  with  considerable 
force  forward  right  into  the  sea.  As  before,  Ter- 
ence preserved  his  consciousness,  or,  at  all  events, 
recovered  it  as  he  struck  the  water.  He  struck  out 
bravely  alongside  the  ship. 

"  Heave  us  a  rope,  shipmates,"  he  sung  out. 
I  ran  to  the  side,  and  was  just  in  time  to  throw 
him  a  rope  as  he  dropped  past.  He  caught  hold 
of  it,  and  hand  over  hand  he  hauled  himself  on 
board  into  the  mizen  chains.  From  thence  jump- 
ing into  the  waist,  he  shook  himself  dry,  like  a 
Newfoundland  dog,  and  went  forward  again  to  his 
duty,  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

"  Peter,"  he  observed  afterwards  to  me,  when  we 
were  together,  "  if  I  never  had  any  religion  before, 
I  think  I  should  have  some  now.  You  see,  when  1 
felt  myself  going,  I  thought  it  was  all  up  with  me  ; 
and  never  was  so  surprised  in  my  life  as  when  I 


HIS    EARLV    LIFE    AND    ADVENT  UHE3.       185 

found  myself  in  the  water.  Tell  me,  Peter,  do  yen 
think  it  was  God  who  made  the  fore-sail  belly  out 
at  the  moment  it  did  ?" 

"  I  think  it  was  by  his  will  it  so  happened,"  I 
answered.  "  I  don't  think  chance  did  it." 

"  But  do  you  think  he  would  take  the  trouble  to 
look  after  such  a  poor  fellow  as  I  am  ?"  he  asked. 

"  A  sparrow,  we  are  told  by  the  Bible,  falls  not 
to  the  ground  that  he  knows  not  of,"  observed  An- 
drew Thompson,  who  had  sat  himself  down  near  us. 
"  Then  don't  you  think,  messmate,  he  would  look 
after  a  human  being,  with  a  soul  to  be  saved  ?" 

"  I  feel  that  he  preserved  my  life  ;  but  I  don't 
understand  it,"  replied  Terence. 

"  No,  messmate,  none  of  us  can  understand  his 
mysteries.  We  see  the  earth,  and  the  sky  and 
sea — the  sun  and  moon  rise  and  set — we  feel  the 
wind  blow,  and  the  snow  and  the  rain  fall — but  we 
cannot  comprehend  how  all  this  is  ordered,  though 
we  must  acknowledge  that  it  is  for  our  good  ;  and  we 
feel  that  the  power  of  the  Ruler  of  all  is  so  much 
greater  than  we  can  understand,  that  it  is  hopeless 
to  attempt  it.  But  I  say,  messmate,  that  is  no 
reason  why  we  should  not  believe  that  all  these 
things  are  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  that  God,  who 
creates  and  cares  for  the  smallest  birds,  watches 
over  us  also." 

We  both  acknowledged  the  truth  of  Andrew's 
creed ;  and,  let  me  assure  my  young  friends,  that 
a  blessed  comfort  was  it  to  us  afterwards,  when 
dangers,  such  as  few  have  surmounted,  surrounded 
us. 

We  continued  standing  to  the  northward ;  and, 
as  far  as  we  could  learn,  we  were  considerably  to 
the  eastward  of  Newfoundland.  The  change  of  tem- 
perature made  us  glad  of  warm  clothing ;  but,  aa 
yet,  there  was  no  cold  to  be  comrdoined  of.  W« 
P« 


186  PETER    THE    WHALFR. 

might  have  guessed  that  we  were  approaching  the 
Arctic  regions,  by  the  character  of  the  numberless 
sea-fowl  which  at  times  surrounded  us.  We  were, 
now,  I  believe,  in  latitude  5-t°  or  55° ;  but  I  am 
uncertain,  from  the  reasons  I  have  before  stated. 

Our  officers  had  their  guns  on  deck,  and  amused 
themselves  by  shooting  as  many  of  the  birds  which 
came  in  their  way  as  they  could ;  but  my  mess- 
mates called  them  by  the  various  names  of  shearwa- 
ters, boatswains,  kittiwakes,  dovekies,  Mollymokes 
or  Mollies,  gulls,  buntings,  and  many  others,  whose 
names  I  forget.  Those  the  officers  did  not  want 
were  given  to  the  crew,  who  were  in  no  way  parti- 
cular as  to  the  nature  of  the  fresh  meat  they  could 
procure.  The  shearwaters,  especially,  we  found 
very  good,  particularly  when  made  into  pies.  For 
the  purpose  of  enabling  us  to  make  crust,  a  greater 
quantity  of  flour  than  usual  was  served  out.  At 
first  our  pies  had  a  very  oily  and  fishy  taste  ;  but 
Andrew  showed  us  that  this  fishy  flavor  is  confined 
to  the  fat,  the  whole  of  which  is  under  the  skin,  and 
jhiefly  near  the  thighs.  By  carefully  skinning  the 
birds,  they  tasted  like  ordinary  land-fowl ;  and  be- 
fore the  officers  found  out  the  secret,  we  had  a  capi- 
tal pie  every  day  for  dinner. 

Our  most  constant  companions  were  the  Mollies ; 
for  which  bird  the  north-sea  men  have  as  great  an 
affection  and  veneration  as  sailors  round  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  have  for  Mother  Carey's  chickens,  or 
the  superb  Albatross.  They  have  an  idea  that  the 
spirits  of  the  brave  old  Greenland  skippers,  the 
successors  of  the  fierce  sea-kings  have,  when  quit- 
ting their  mortal  frames,  entered  these  fleet  deni- 
zens of  the  air,  still  desirous  to  wander  over  the 
scenes  of  their  former  exploits.  They  are  very 
strong  and  graceful  on  the  wing ;  and,  though  they 
scarcely  seem  to  move  their  gracefully  roundoff 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      181 

pinions,  they  can  fly  in  the  teeth,  almost,  of  the 
fiercest  gale — now  swooping  into  the  dark  troughs 
of  the  sea — now  skimming  over  the  white  foaming 
crests.  They  seldom,  except  during  calm  and  mode- 
rate weather,  alight  on  the  water,  being  ever  con- 
stant on  the  wing;  and  they  will  fly  so  close  to  the 
ship,  that  I  have  fancied  I  could  catch  them  with 
my  hand. 

One  calm  evening,  as  I  was  stationed  on  the 
poop,  one  of  these  birds,  with  noiseless  wing, 
came  flying  so  close  to  me,  that  he  almost  brushed 
my  nose ;  but,  before  I  could  lift  my  hand,  to 
catch  him,  he  was  gone.  Several  times,  some  of 
the  pretty  little  snow-b".ntings  attempted  to  alight 
on  our  rigging;  but,  like  thistle-downs,  before  they 
could  reach  it,  they  were  blown  to  leeward,  and,  ex- 
hausted and  weary,  were  soon  overwhelmed  by  the 
waves. 

We  had  fishing-lines  on  board ;  and  one  day,  the 
wind  being  light,  we  were  told  we  might  try  them, 
when,  to  our  no  small  satisfaction,  we  caught  some 
excellent  cod  and  halibut.  We  were,  in  fact,  pass 
ing  over  a  fishing-bank. 

The  weather  now  altered  for  the  worse.  Sleet, 
fog,  and  rain,  succeeded  each  other  with  unvarying 
rapidity,  with  an  addition,  generally,  of  a  strong 
gale,  coming  from  the  north  round  to  the  north- 
west. For  two  days  it  was  impossible  to  lay  our 
course,  so  we  remained  hove  to,  hoping  for  an  abate- 
ment of  the  storm. 

I  am  now  coming  to  one  of  the  most  perilous  in- 
cidents of  my  life.  I  think  I  said,  that  Thompson, 
O'Connor,  Stokes,  and  I,  were  in  the  same  watch, 
though  we  were  stationed  in  different  parts  of  the 
ship.  It  had  been  blowing  very  hard  from  the 
northward  during  the  day;  but,  towards  the  eve- 
ning it  moderated  a  little,  and  the  ship  was  carry- 


188  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

ing  tier  three  whole  top-sails,  close-hauled,  ani 
looking  up  to  the  north-east.  No  moon  or  stars 
were  visible  |  for  heavy  masses  of  clouds  covered 
the  sky,  and  seemed  to  descend,  till  they  filled,  as 
it  were,  the  whole  space  between  sky  and  ocean. 

There  were  look-outs  stationed  forward ;  though, 
as  we  were  supposed  to  be  in  the  open  sea,  no  dan- 
ger of  any  sort  was  apprehended.  Other  ships 
might,  by  possibility,  be  crossing  our  course  ;  but 
that  was  not  likely ;  and  if,  by  any  wonderful  chance, 
we  came  near  each  other,  we  should  probably  see 
and  be  seen  in  time  to  prevent  a  collision.  The 
larboard  watch,  to  which  I  belonged,  and  of  which 
Mr.  Dunning,  the  second  lieutenant,  was  officer, 
had  the  first  watch,  namely,  from  eight  o'clock  till 
midnight.  At  four  bells,  or  ten  o'clock,  it  came  to 
my  turn  to  take  my  trick  at  the  helm.  The  weather 
had  become  bitterly  cold  ;  so  I,  with  the  rest,  had 
donned  all  the  warm  clothing  we  could  command.  I 
had  on  a  flannel  shirt  and  drawers,  with  worsted 
hose  and  comforter ;  and,  over  all,  a  thick  Flushing 
jacket  and  trowsers ;  a  Welsh  wig,  under  a  south- 
wester,  covered  my  head,  and  a  thick  pair  of  lined 
boots  my  feet,  while  my  hands  were  encased  in 
woollen  mittens ;  so  that  I  little  cared  for  the  in- 
clemency of  the  weather,  provided  I  had  not  to  face 
it.  This  I  had  to  lo  while  at  the  helm ;  and  I  re- 
membered Andrew's  account  of  the  Moravian  mis- 
sionaries having  their  eye-lids  frozen  together,  and 
thought  mine  would  suffer  in  the  same  manner. 

To  say  that  the  night  was  very  dark,  would  not 
give  an  idea  of  the  inky  obscurity  in  which  we  ap- 
peared to  be  sailing.  One  could  scarcely  see  one's 
hand,  with  one's  arm  held  out  at  full  length ;  and 
as  for  discerning  anything  ahead,  that  appeared 
impossible.  I  say  appeared,  because  there  is  much 
difference  having  something  to  look  at  and  nothing. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AN'O    ADVENTURES         18'J 

In  tlie  latter  case,  you  fancy,  because  you  see 
nothing,  that  nothing  could  be  seen  if  it  were  there, 
I  heard  Mr.  Dunning,  as  he  passed  me,  apostro 
phising  the  night  as  dark  as  Erebus. 

The  quarter-master,  who  was  conning  the  ship, 
was  continually  exclaiming,  "  No  higher,"  as  I  kept 
her  luffing  up  into  the  wind,  unable  to  see  the  shak- 
ing of  her  canvass,  which  rose  dark  and  towering 
above  me,  till  it  seemed  to  be  lost  in  the  clouds. 
Indeed,  as  we  sailed  on,  we  seemed  literally  to  be 
sweeping  the  sky  with  our  mast-heads.  Thus  we 
ploughed  our  way,  ignorant  of  what  was  ahead, 
through  the  boiling  seas,  during  the  whole  time  I 
had  the  wheel. 

I  had  just  been  relieved,  and  was  finding  my  way 
forward,  knocking  my  hands  against  my  sides  to 
warm  them,  when  there  was  a  loud  cry  from  the 
look-out  men  of  "  A  ship  a-head,  standing  right 
for  us  under  all  sail." 

"  Under  all  sail — impossible,  in  a  night  like 
this,"  exclaimed  the  officer  of  the  watch,  rousing 
himself  from  a  reverie. 

"Luff,  all  you  can  luff,  and  we  may  weather 
her,"  cried  the  voice  from  forward,  in  a  tone  which 
showed  the  emergency  of  the  case;  but  the  lieu- 
tenant had  seen  what  he  thought  was  a  sail,  and 
exclaimed,  "  Keep  her  away — hard  up  with  the 
helm. — hard  up."  The  commands  of  the  officer  were 
obeyed — the  spokes  of  the  wheel  were  turned 
a'weather — the  ship,  falling  off,  'felt  the  full  force 
of  the  gale,  and  flew  with  redoubled  speed  through 
the  water. 

Andrew  Thompson,  who  was  standing  close  to 
me,  had  been  peering  into  the  gloom  ahead.  "  A 
sail !"  he  exclaimed  ;  "  that's  no  sail,  but  an  ice- 
berg— I  see  its  light.  We  might  have  weathered 


190  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

it ;  but  now  we  are  on  it — and  Heaven  have  mercy 
on  our  souls." 

As  he  spoke,  a  loud  fearful  crash  was  heard — the 
Btout  ship  shook  and  trembled  in  every  timber.  I 
was  thrown,  as  were  all  near  me,  to  the  deck  with 
stunning  force.  Shrieks  and  cries  arose  from  every 
part  of  the  ship ;  and  the  watch  below,  in  their 
consternation,  came  hurrying  up  on  deck,  many 
without  their  clothes — others  with  them  in  their 
hands — all  was  dismay  and  confusion — while  the 
terrific  noise  of  the  wind,  and  the  sea  dashing  over 
the  ship,  and  the  ship  striking  against  the  iceberg 
(for  an  iceberg  it  was  in  truth  against  which  we 
had  struck),  added  to  the  cries  of  the  people,  the 
groans  of  the  ship,  and  the  creaking  and  crashing 
of  the  masts,  almost  drowned  the  voices  of  the 
officers,  who  were  rushing  here  and  there  as  they 
came  from  their  cabins,  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  re- 
store order.  Many  of  the  people,  in  their  fright, 
sprung  overboard,  and  were  instantly  swallowed  up 
by  the  waves.  The  ship  rose  and  fell  with  tre- 
mendous force  as  the  sea  lifted  her,  and  the  loud 
crashing  forward,  showed  that  her  strong  bows  had 
been  stove  in.  The  foremast  went  by  the  board, 
the  heel  probably  lifted  right  out  of  its  step.  Then 
a  terrific  cry  arose  that  the  ship  was  sinking,  and 
that  all  was  lost. 

The  sergeant  of  marines,  a  rigid  disciplinarian, 
had,  at  the  first  alarm,  collected  his  men  ;  and,  by 
the  command  of  the  captain,  brought  them,  with 
their  arms  in  their  hands,  on  the  quarter-deck, 
ready  to  enforce  his  orders.  No  sooner  was  the  cry 
raised  that  all  was  lost,  than  many  rushed  forward, 
with  the  intention  of  getting  on  the  iceberg. 

"Let  no  man  quit  the  ship,"  shouted  the  cap* 
tain,  through  his  speaking-trumpet.  "Beat  to 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       191 

quarters,  marines ;  fire  on  any  who  attempt  to 
leave  the  deck." 

Andrew  Thompson,  O'Connor,  and  Stokes  were 
close  to  me,  just  abreast  of  the  foremast.  Andrew 
looked  round,  when  he  heard  the  bows  of  the  ship 
being  stove  in.  "  My  lads,"  he  exclaimed  to  us 
three,  "  the  ship  won't  be  many  minutes  more  above 
water,  so  if  you'd  have  a  chance  for  your  lives, 
follow  me." 

This  he  said  just  as  the  captain  had  ordered  the 
marines  to  fire  on  any  who  should  quit  the  ship. 
We  did  not  stop  to  see  whether  they  would  obey  or 
not  j  but,  jumping  on  the  forecastle,  ran  along  the 
bowsprit  and  down  by  the  dolphin-striker — a  spar 
which  hangs  perpendicularly  under  the  bowsprit, 
from  whence  we  dropped  down,  one  by  one,  on  to  a 
part  of  the  iceberg  which  the  waves  did  not  reach. 
The  ice  was  very  rough,  and  we  were  thus  enabled 
to  scramble  up  perfectly  clear  of  the  sea. 

Several  others  attempted  to  follow  our  example  ; 
and  the  marines,  even  at  that  awful  moment,  obe- 
dient to  their  orders,  commenced  firing  on  them. 
By  the  flashes  of  their  muskets,  as  well  as  from 
three  or  four  guns,  which  the  gunner  and  his  crew 
had  time  to  discharge,  the  whole  dreadful  scene  was 
disclosed  for  an  instant,  never  to  be  erased  from  my 
memory.  The  ship,  with  her  bow  run  high  upon 
the  berg  ;  her  tall  masts,  with  their  yards  and 
sails  going  by  the  board  ;  the  dark  ocean  and  the 
white  crusted  seas  dashing  over  her  stern,  amid 
which  stood  a  mass  of  human  beings,  in  all  the 
attitudes  of  agonized  despair  and  dismay,  except 
those  few  drilled  to  obedience,  who  knew  not  the 
danger.  Then,  again,  above  our  heads,  rising  tc 
the  clouds,  the  white  shining  iceberg,  which,  at 
every  flash,  seemed  to  glow  with  flames  of  fire  ;  the 
bright  light  reflected  from  pinnacle  to  pinnacle,  and 


192  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

far  into  the  caverned  recesses  of  its  stupendous 
sides. 

Can  I  ever  forget  the  dreadful  despairing  shriek 
which  lent  the  skies,  as  the  bow  lifting  high  in  the 
air,  it  seemed,  the  stern  sank  down,  even  at  the 
instant  the  marines  fired  their  last  volley :  it  was 
a  volley  over  their  own  graves.  Slowly  the  proud 
ship  glided  from  the  icy  rock,  on  which  she  had 
been  wrecked,  down  into  the  far  depths  of  the 
ocean.  Soon  all  were  engulphed  beneath  the  gree- 
dy waves.  No  helping  hand  could  we  offer  to  any 
of  our  shipmates.  The  taller  masts  and  spars  fol- 
lowed, dragged  down  by  the  sinking  hull ;  and  in 
another  instant,  as  we  gazed  where  our  ship  had 
just  been,  a  black  obscurity  was  alone  before  us. 
I  say  we,  for  I  saw  that  others  were  near  me  ;  but 
•who  they  were  I  could  not  at  the  time  tell.  I 
called  out.  and  Andrew's  voice  answered — "  Is  that 
you,  Peter  1  I  am  glad  you've  escaped,  lad.  Who 
is  there  besides  ?" 

"  I'm  here,  Andrew,  thanks  to  Providence  and 
your  advice,"  cried  Terence. 

"  And  so  am  I ;  but  I  don't  think  I  can  hold  on 
much  longer,"  exclaimed  poor  Tom  Stokes,  who  had 
fallen  on  his  side  and  hurt  himself.  Terence  and 
I,  who  were  near  him,  on  this  grasped  hold  of  him, 
and  dragged  him  up. to  the  broad  ledge,  on  which 
we  were  seated,  from  the  rough  points  of  ice  to 
which  he  had  been  clinging.  We  then  all  huddled 
together  as  close  as  we  could,  to  keep  ourselves 
warm. 

"  Perhaps  there  may  be  some  one  else  saved," 
observed  Andrew,  so  we  shouted,  at  the  top  of  our 
voices — "  Shipmates,  ahoy  ;  are  any  of  you  there  ?' 
We  listened.  The  only  answering  sound  was  the 
lashing  of  the  waves  against  the  base  of  the  ice- 
berg ;  and  we  were  convinced  that,  out  of  that 


HIS    EARLY    LI?E    AND    ADVENTURES.       193 

gallant  crew,  who  lately  trod  tlie  deck  of  the  beau- 
tiful ship  which  was  now  fathoms  down  beneath 
our  feet,  we  four  were  the  only  beings  left  alive. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

A  Night  on  an  Iceberg. — Andrew  bids  us  trust  in  Providence. — 
Morning  dawns. — Beautiful  Appearance  of  the  Iceberg. — We 
find  food. — A  Signal  fixed  on  the  Top  of  the  Berg. — Lose  our 
Flint  and  Steel.— A  novel  Burning  Glass.— A  Raft  formed. 
— Some  Treasures  collected. — Xo  Help  arrives. 

I  CAN  scarcely  picture  the  horrors  of  that  night 
— I  would  fain,  indeed,  forget  them,  but  that  is  irn 
possible.  We  had  preserved  our  lives  for  the  pre- 
sent moment ;  but  what  could  we  expect  beyond, 
but  starvation  in  its  worst  form.  We  had  also  read 
and  heard  enough  of  icebergs  to  know  that,  as  they 
are  driven  to  the  southern  latitudes,  their  bases 
immersed  in  water  much  above  the  freezing-pointj 
rapidly  melt,  and  huge  fragments  being  dislodged, 
they  are  suddenly  reversed,  creating  a  tumult  as 
if  a  huge  mountain  were  plunged  into  the  ocean. 

"  If  we  have  to  stay  here  long,  we  shall  be  frozen 
to  death,"  said  poor  Stokes,  his  teeth  chattering 
with  cold  and  fear.  He  was  the  only  one  of  us  who 
had  got  wet. 

"  Trust  in  Providence,  lad,"  said  Andrew  solemn- 
ly. "  He  has  wonderfully  preserved  us  thus  far. 
He  will  not  desert  us,  unless  it  be  his  good  plea- 
sure that  we  should  die  ;  and  then  we  must  meet 
our  fate  like  reasoning  men,  thanking  him  for  his 
especial  mercy  that  he  has  given  us  time  to  repent 
of  our  sins,  and  has  not  hurried  us,  as  he  has  our 
shipmates,  into  eternity  without  a  moment's  warn 
ing." 

17  2 


191  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

"  Should  I  never  have  another  oppoi  tunity,  1 
fhank  you  now,  Andrew,  for  making  me  think  of 
such  things  in  the  way  you  have  done,"  exclaimed 
Terence  from  the  fulness  of  his  heart.  "  Had  it 
not  been  for  you,  shipmate,  I  should  not  have  seen 
the  finger  of  God  in  the  various  ways  in  which  he 
has  been  pleased  to  preserve  me ;  and  I  should 
have  died  the  ungrateful,  unthinking  wretch  I  had 
hitherto  lived." 

"  I  have  been  but  an  humble  instrument  in  his 
hand,  Terence,"  answered  Andrew,  in  his  usual 
calm,  humble  tone.  "  You  see,  I  should  be  very 
wrong,  and  very  wicked,  indeed,  if  knowing  what  is 
right,  I  did  not  take  every  opportunity,  when  there 
was  no  fear  of  discrediting  religion,  to  teach  my 
shipmates." 

"  You  spoke  to  me  at  a  proper  time,  Andrew  ; 
and  your  words  had,  I  hope,  a  right  effect,"  I  ob- 
served. 

"  And  to  me,  also,"  said  Tom ;  "  and  I  thank 
you." 

"  Well,  shipmates,  bad  as  we  are  off,  and  worse 
as  we  may  be,  I  don't  feel  unhappy  when  I  hear 
you  say  those  words  ;  that  I  can  tell  you,"  exclaim- 
ed Andrew.  "  It's  a  joyful  thing  for  a  man,  wheu 
he  has  seen  the  sun  rise  for  the  last  time,  to  feel 
that  there  is  a  chance  of  some  few  things  being 
scored  in  his  favor  in  the  world  to  which  he'a 
bound  :  but  mind  you,  I  don't  say  it's  what  I  would 
pride  myself  on  ;  for  I  know  that  the  most  one  can 
do  may  count  as  nothing :  but  still  it's  pleasant, 
and  nothing  can  make  it  otherwise." 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  thus  we  talked  on.  In 
deed,  what  other  subject  could  we  talk  on  but  re- 
ligion, for  every  moment  Ave  felt  that  we  might  be 
in  the  presence  of  our  Maker.  As  Andrew  warned 
us,  the  nhock  the  iceberg  had  received  by  the  ship 


I1IS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      196 

striking  against  it,  might  have  detached  what  art 
called  calves,  great  lumps  from  the  bottom,  and 
should  the  gale  increase,  it  might  capsize  in  an  in 
stant. 

We  had  many  hours  to  wait  for  daylight.  We 
were  so  well  clothed,  from  its  having  been  our 
watch  on  deck,  that  we  did  not  feel  the  cold  par- 
ticularly ;  but  poor  Tom  continued  to  suffer.  For- 
tunately Andrew  discovered  in  his  pocket  his  pipp 
with  some  tobacco,  and  a  flint  and  steel.  He  light- 
ed the  pipe,  and  let  Tom  have  a  smoke,  which  re- 
vived and  warmed  him,  and  we  the  nail  took  a  few 
whiffs  round.  This  little  luxury  seemed  to  do  us 
much  good.  We  sheltered  Tom  as  much  as  we 
could  from  the  wind  with  our  bodies  ;  and  we 
wrurio;  out  his  wet  jacket,  and  chafed  his  hands  and 
feet  till  the  circulation  was  restored.  The  night, 
however,  seemed  interminable.  To  favor  us  still 
further,  the  wind  fell,  and  shifted  further  to  the 
south,  which  made  it  much  warmer.  The  sea  also 
went  down,  for  it  did  not  seem  to  lash  with  such 
fury  as  before  our  floating  resting-place. 

"  What  chance  have  we  of  escaping  ?"  I  asked  of 
Andrew,  after  a  lengthened  silence. 

"  There  may  be  some  of  the  wreck  cast  up  on 
the  berg,  and  with  it  we  may  make  a  raft,  and  reach 
the  coast  of  Newfoundland  or  Labrador  ;  or  the 
berg  itself  may  be  driven  ashore,  but  that  I  do  not 
think  at  all  likely ;  or  we  may  be  seen  by  some 
ship  and  taken  off.  I  know  of  no  other  possible 
chance  of  escape." 

"  Then,  I  trust,  we  may  be  seen  by  some  ship," 
I  ejaculated.  "  There  must  bo  many  whalers  in 
these  parts." 

"  They  keep  further  to  the  eastward,  generally,*" 
replied  Andrew.  "  They  are,  also,  not  fond  of  ice 
bergs,  and  try  to  avoid  them." 


196  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

1  own,  that,  seeing  him  so  calm  and  collected,  1 
fancied  he  must  have  some  hopes  of  deliverance,  by 
means  of  which  we  were  ignorant ;  so  I  asked  him, 
whether  he  thought  we  should  find  any  food  to 
support  us. 

"  I  have  often  heard  of  people  finding  means  of 
subsistence,  when  in  as  bad  a  condition  as  we  are," 
he  replied.  "  Providence  has  decreed  that  man 
should  require  food  to  support  life  ;  and,  therefore, 
the  air  and  the  sea,  as  well  as  the  earth,  afford  him 
food.  Even  in  the  cold  regions  of  the  North,  there 
is  an  abundance  ;  and  the  very  food  which  he  could 
scarcely  manage  to  digest  in  the  South  is  there 
wholesome  and  palatable.  In  the  plains  of  Asia,  for 
instance,  where  the  earth  affords  the  greatest  pro- 
duce, the  people  care  to  eat  little  besides  fruit  and 
corn ;  while,  in  the  land  of  the  Esquimaux,  where 
neither  fruit  nor  corn  can  grow,  they  thrive  on 
whale's  blubber,  the  flesh  of  bears,  and  wild  fowl." 

"  Perhaps,  we  may  catch  some  wild  fowl  in  the 
morning,"  I  observed. 

"  Perhaps,  we  may  ;  but  I  think  we  should  hear 
them,  if  there  were  any  perched  about  the  berg ; 
and  I  have  been  listening  for  some  time  for  them 
without  hearing  a  sound." 

By  this  remark  of  Andrew's,  I  knew  that  he 
had  been  considering  how  we  should  support  life, 
though  he  was  prepared  for  the 'worst ;  and  also, 
probably,  how  we  had  best  act,  under  all  the  cir- 
cumstances which  might  occur.  I  might  have 
sailed  with  Andrew  for  a  long  time  in  calm  wea- 
ther without  discovering  the  real  heroic  qualities 
which,  under  his  rough  exterior,  he  possessed. 

Morning  at  last  dawned  ;  and  what  a  change 
from  the  previous  day  !  Then,  all  had  been  storn? 
and  gloom.  Now,  all  around  was  calm,  beautiful, 
and  bright.  Before  the  sun  arose,  the  whole  east- 


HIS    EART.Y    LIFE    AND    ADVENTCRES.      191 

srn  sky  was  glowing  with  an  orange  tin^e  ;  while 
every  fleecy  cloud  around  was  tinted  with  gold  and 
red,  orange,  or  pink,  and  every  conceivable  interme- 
diate hue  ;  while  the  clear  portions  of  the  sky  it- 
self Avere  of  the  purest  and  most  ethereal  blue — 
the  whole  sea  glowing  with  the  same  varied  and 
beautiful  colors.  But,  still  more  beautiful  and  won- 
derful seemed  the  vast  mountain  of  ice  on  which 
we  floated,  as  in  every  fantastic  form  it  appeared, 
towering  above  us.  The  pinacles  and  turrets  of 
the  summit  were  tinted  with  the  glowing  hues  of 
the  east ;  while,  lower  down,  the  columns  and  arch- 
es which  supported  them,  seemed  formed  of  the 
purest  alabaster  of  almost  a  cerulean  tint ;  and 
around  us,  on  either  side,  appeared  vast  caverns 
and  grottos,  carved,  one  might  almost  suppose,  by 
the  hands  of  fairies,  for  their  summer  abode,  out 
of  Parian  marble,  their  entrances  fringed  with 
dropping  icicles,  glittering  brilliantly. 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  if  we  did  not  admire 
the  enchanting  spectacle  as  much  as  it  deserved  ; 
for  we  could  not  forget,  that  we  were  floating  on  an 
iceberg,  in  the  middle  of  the  North  sea  ;  but,  still, 
the  scene  made  an  impression  on  my  mind  which  I 
shall  not  forget.  We  had  struck  on  the  lowest 
and  least  precipitous  side  of  the  xceberg — there 
being  a  wide  flat  space  some  distance  above  the  wa- 
ter, with  one  ledge  rising  above  the  other,  for  some 
way  up,  so  that  we  had  ample  room  to  walk  about ; 
nor  was  the  ice  so  slippery  as  to  cause  us  much 
fear  of  tumbling  into  the  water.  I  had  heard  a  rip- 
pling noise  during  the  night,  and  could  not  conceive 
whence  it  came  ;  but  now,  on  looking  around,  I  per- 
ceived that  it  was  caused  by  a  small  cascade,  which, 
from  the  ice  at  the  top  continually  melting,  came 
trickling  down  the  side. 

"W«  shaJl  have  fresh  water,  at  all  events,  in 
Q« 


198  PETER    THE    WHALEK, 

abundance,"  I  observed  to  Andrew,  who  had  awoke 
from  a  sleep  into  which  he,  with  our  other  compa- 
nions, had  fallen. 

"  Yes,  Peter  ;  and  from  what  I  see  not  far  off,  if 
I  mistake  not,  we  shall  have  food  also,"  he  added, 
pointing  to  a  dark  object  which  lay  on  a  ledge  be- 
low us,  a  little  way  to  the  left. 

"  It  looks  like  an  animal  of  some  sort,"  I  ex- 
claimed. "  But  I  am  afraid  it  will  be  off  before 
we  can  catch  it.  Shall  we  run  down  and  secure 
it?" 

"  I  have  no  fear  on  thai  score,"  he  replied  ;  "  it 
is  a  seal,  and  from  the  way  it  is  lying,  it  is,  I  sus- 
pect, dead.  Indeed,  a  live  animal  would  not  have 
got  on  the  ice  so  early  in  the  morning.  They  are 
now  feeding,  and  love  to  come  out  of  the  water  to 
bask  at  noon  in  the  sun.  We  will  wake  up  Ter- 
ence and  Tom,  and  get  them  to  help  drag  it  up  out 
of  the  reach  of  the  sea.  It  will  probably  not  be 
very  palatable,  though  it  will  doubtless  serve  to 
keep  us  alive.  But  before  we  commence  the  work 
of  the  day,  let  us  return  thanks  to  Heaven  for  hav- 
ing preserved  us  through  the  great  perils  of  the 
past  night." 

We  roused  up  our  companions  ;  and  I  believe 
did  most  sincerely  offer  up  our  thanksgiving  for 
the  mercy  which  had  been  shown  us  in  saving  us 
out  of  so  many  from  destruction.  We  then,  with 
care  to  avoid  falling  into  the  sea,  descended  to 
where  the  body  of  the  seal  had  been  thrown.  The 
animal  was  dead ;  but  it  was  quite  fresh,  and  hat? 
probably  been  cast  up  that  very  night ;  at  all 
events,  it  could  not  have  been  there  long. 

"  I  doubted  not  that  God  would  send  us  food. 
Iliis  did  not  happen  by  chance,"  said  Andrew.  We 
found  that  we  could  not  drag  the  entire  body  of  the 
B^al  up  to  the  higher  ledge  so  we  cut  thin  slices  out 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      19? 

of  it.  hoping,  by  drying  them  in  the  sun,  to  pre- 
»erve  them  longer.  We  first  skinned  it  carefully; 
as  Andrew  showed  us,  that  by  stretching  out  the 
skin,  it  would  afford  us  some  little  shelter  at  night. 
Having  collected  a  supply  of  food  to  last  us  for 
many  days,  we  dragged  the  remainder  of  the  car- 
cass out  of  the  reach  of  the  waves,  and  carried  the 
meat  to  the  upper  ledge. 

"  Now,  my  lads,"  said  Andrew,  who  took  the  lead 
in  everything,  ve  willingly  obeying  him,  "  it  is 
very  right  to  secure  some  food  for  ourselves  in  the 
first  place ;  but  as  we  shall  none  of  us  have  a 
fancy  for  spending  the  rest  of  our  days  here,  we'll 
look  out  to  see  if  there's  a  ship  in  the  offing  ;  and 
if  so  to  make  some  signal  to  attract  her  notice." 

We  all  agreed ;  and  before  attempting  to  eat 
some  of  the  seal,  for  which  indeed  we  had  little 
fancy,  we  set  to  work  to  climb  to  one  of  the  highest 
pinnacles  of  the  berg.  We  found  it  impossible  to 
reach  the  highest,  but  we  got  some  way  up ;  and 
not  a  sail  was  to  be  seen  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach  on  the  part  of  the  horizon  visible  to  us.  Our 
climb  had  shown  us,  however,  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  lower  part  of  the  berg,  and  we  observed 
several  things  lying  about,  evidently  cast  there  by 
the  waves.  We  immediately  descended  to  secure 
them. 

There  was  a  hen-coop  with  some  chickens  in  it ; 
and  though  they  were  drowned,  they  were  very 
acceptable  ;  there  were  two  boarding-pikes,  a  boat- 
sail,  and  several  spars  and  bits  of  rope,  which  had 
been  lying  in  the  boats  or  on  the  booms.  These 
were  all  treasures,  and  collecting  them,  we  carried 
them  up  to  our  ledge.  There  were  also  fragments 
of  wood  and  chips  washed  from  the  cook's  galley, 
and  bits  of  a  quarter-boat  which  had  gone  to  pieces 
rith  the  first  sea.  These  latter  we  dried  in  the 


200  PETER    THE    WHAT.ER, 

sun,  and  afterwards  kindled  with  them  a  snail  fire, 
over  which  we  cooked  two  of  our  fowls,  and  dried 
the  seal's  flesh  for  future  use.  We  without  diffi- 
culty eat  the  fowls,  but  had  not  yet  got  up  an  ap- 
petite for  seal-flesh. 

"  We  might  be  worse  off,  there's  no  doubt  about 
it,"  observed  Terence  ;  "  and  it  strikes  me,  An- 
drew, that  what  with  the  hen-coop  and  the  spars, 
we  might  build  a  sort  of  a  raft  which  would  keep 
us  a  float  a  short  time,  should  the  berg  take  to  mak- 
ing a  somerset." 

"  I  was  thinking  of  the  same  thing,"  was  An- 
drew's reply.  "  They  will  form  but  a  small  raft  ; 
but  if  the  berg  drives  anywhere  near  the  shore,  it 
will,  at  least,  enable  us  to  reach  it.  The  sooner 
we  set  about  making  it  the  better.  It  will  keep  ua 
off  the  cold  ice  in  the  mean  time,  and  by  rigging 
the  boat's  sail  on  the  pikes  we  shall  be  sheltered 
from  the  wind ;  and,  my  lads,  let  me  tell  you,  we 
might  be  much  worse  off,  so  let  us  be  thankful." 

This  conversation  took  place  while  we  were  mak- 
ing our  breakfast.  Instead  of  tea,  we  knocked 
off,  with  the  boarding-pikes,  lumps  of  ice,  which  we 
ate,  and  found  perfectly  fresh.  This,  Andrew  ex- 
plained, arose  either  from  the  iceberg  having  been 
formed  of  the  accumulation  of  the  snow  of  many 
winters  on  the  coast  of  Greenland,  and  thus  having 
been  always  fresh  ;  or  if  formed  out  of  salt  water, 
from  the  ice,  when  freezing,  having  ejected  tho 
saline  particles.  He  told  us  that  water,  when 
freezing,  has  the  property  of  purifying  itself,  and 
of  squeezing  out,  as  it  were,  all  extraneous  or 
coarse  matter. 

Our  not  over-luxurious  repast  being  finished, 
Andrew  proposed  our  attempting  again  to  ascend 
the  berg  to  plant  a  signal-post  and  flag,  to  attract 
the  notice  of  any  passing  ship.  Terence  was  for 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE     iND    ADVENTURES.        '2^ 

spreading  out  the  boat's  sail ;  but  Andrew  remind- 
ed him,  that  on  the  white  iceberg  that  would  not 
be  readily  seen,  and  advised  our  fastening  our  co- 
lored handkerchiefs  together  instead. 

"  We  must  first,  however,  get  to  the  top  of  the 
berg,"  said  Terence ;  "  and,  to  my  mind,  these 
boarding-pikes  will  serve  us  a  good  turn." 

No  sooner  thought  of  than  tried.  With  tho 
boarding-pikes  we  chopped  steps  out  of  the  side, 
where  it  was  too  precipitous  to  surmount  without 
such  aid  ;  and  by  fixing  the  pikes  below  us,  we 
shoved  ourselves  up  with  them.  In  this  manner, 
after  considerable  labor,  we  reached  a  high  pinnacle 
of  the  berg.  It  was  not  broad  enough  for  us  to  stand 
on,  without  fear  of  falling  off,  so  we  sat  astride  on  it 
while  we  chopped  a  hole  deep  enough  to  fix  one  of 
the  spars  in,  which  we  had  hauled  up  for  the  pur- 
pose. At  the  top  we  secured  four  red  cotton  hand- 
kerchiefs, which,  as  they  blew  out,  might  be  seen 
at  a  considerable  distance.  We  beat  the  ice  tightly 
round  the  heel  of  the  spar,  and  it  appeared  to 
stand  firmly  and  well. 

"  Now,  on  whatever  side  of  the  berg  a  ship  ap- 
proaches, it  will  be  seen  that  some  human  beings 
are  on  it,"  observed  Andrew,  as  we  prepared  to 
descend,  having  first  carefully  surveyed  the  hori- 
zon on  every  side. 

At  this  juncture  we  had  a  loss,  which  caused  us 
great  dismay,  and,  we  thought,  would  prove  a  very 
serious  inconvenience.  After  lighting  the  fire,  An- 
drew had  put  the  flint  and  steel  in  his  jacket  pocket, 
along  with  his  handkerchief,  on  drawing  out  which 
they  were  jerked  out  also  ;  and  before  we  could  catch 
them,  they  had  fallen  over  the  steep  side  of  the 
berg.  Away  they  bounded,  from  ledge  to  ledge, 
till  they  fell  into  the  sea.  Had  they  lodged  in  any 
crevice,  one  of  us  might  probably  have  attempted 


202  PETEH    THE    WHAT.KK, 

to  recover  them,  and  should  very  likely  have  fallen 
into  the  sea  in  so  doing  ;  so,  as  Andrew  observed, 
all  was  for  the  best.  It  was  fortunate,  we  observed, 
that  we  had  dried  some  of  our  seal's  flesh,  or  we 
should  have  had  to  eat  it  quite  raw. 

We  now  descended,  and  commenced  at  once  tc 
form  our  raft.  We  had  few  materials  ;  and  our  on- 
ly tools  were  our  knives  and  the  heads  of  the  board- 
ing-pikes. We  first  made  a  framework  of  the 
spars  ;  and  then  knocking  the  hen-coop  to  pieces, 
we  nailed  the  planks  on  to  the  top,  securing  the 
whole  fabric  more  firmly  with  ropes.  When  com- 
pleted, as  we  looked  at  it,  we  agreed  that  it  was  a 
very  small  ark,  to  support  four  people  on  the  stormy 
ocean. 

"  I  don't  think  it  will  have  to  float  me,  ship- 
mates," said  poor  Tom,  who  had  not  recovered  his 
hurt.  "  I  feel  as  if  I  could  not  weather  out  another 
night  like  the  last." 

"  0  you'll  do  well  enough,  lad,"  answered  Andrew, 
in  a  kind  voice.  "  Your  clothes  will  be  dry,  you'll 
have  a  dry  plank  to  lie  on,  and  a  roof  over  your 
head.  You'll  do  yet,  trust  to  me."  These  encour- 
aging words  had  an  immediate  effect  on  Tom's  spir- 
its, and  we  heard  no  more  of  his  complaints. 

We  had  observed,  as  we  sat  on  the  top  of  the 
berg,  several  articles  floating  round  the  base ; 
and  some  lodged  in  crevices,  which  we  had  not  be- 
fore discovered.  Our  raft  being  completed,  as  far 
as  our  materials  would  go,  I  volunteered  to  try  and 
get  hold  of  some  of  the  things.  To  do  this  with 
safety,  I  begged  my  shipmates  to  hold  one  end  of  a 
line,  which  we  had  formed  out  of  the  various  pieces 
collected,  while  the  other  I  secured  round  my  body. 
By  keeping  the  line  always  tight,  I  was  able  tc 
lean  over  the  edge  and  pick  up  several  things  in 
ihe  water.  The  first  was  a  bucket,  in  sound  con- 


HIS    EARLY    LiFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      20S 

iition  ;  this  was  valuable,  as  it  would  contain  fresh 
water,  and  prevent  the  necessity  of  our  chewing 
the  cold  ice,  which  chilled  us  extremely.  Then  I 
found  some  more  spars,  and  the  fragments  of  one 
of  the  boats,  which  must  have  been  stove  in  and  got 
adrift  before  the  ship  went  down.  These  enabled 
us  to  increase  our  raft  to  a  size  which  afforded  us 
hope  that  it  might  support  us  in  our  necessity. 

When  I  was  tired,  Terence  followed  my  example, 
and  also  added  to  our  store  of  valuables.  As  he 
was  hunting  about,  almost  out  of  sight,  among  the 
rougher  parts  of  the  berg,  we  heard  him  sing  out, 
"  A  prize — a  prize  !"  and,  standing  up,  he  held  aloft 
an  iron  pot,  with  the  cover  on.  The  cover  had  been 
jammed  tightly  down,  so  that  it  had  floated  like  a 
buoy. 

"  There  is  something  in  it,  though,"  he  observed, 
shaking  it ;  and,  on  getting  off  the  cover,  we  dis- 
covered a  piece  of  beef,  ready  for  cooking.  It  had 
evidently  floated  out  of  the  cook's  galley. 

"  I  quite  forgot,  though,  that  we  had  no  means 
of  lighting  a  fire  ;  so,  after  all,  it  won't  be  of  any 
use,"  sighed  Terence,  after  we  had  all  four  collected 
again  on  our  raft. 

"  Don't  be  so  sure  of  that,"  said  Andrew.  "  I 
have  seen  a  fire  kindled  by  means  which  few  peo- 
ple would  think  of ;  but  I  am  not  quite  certain  that 
I  can  manage  it ;  however,  I'll  try.  It's  worth  the 
experiment ;  for,  if  we  can  light  a  fire,  we  may 
make  some  soup,  which  will  do  us  all  good." 

Saying  this,  he  climbed  some  way  up  the  berg, 
where  he  knocked  off  a  pure  piece  of  ice  from  one 
of  its  sparkling  pinnacles.  We  all  sat  round,  won- 
dering what  he  was  going  to  do.  With  the  board- 
ing-pike, he  carefully  chopped  the  lump,  till  he  had 
made  it  into  a  thick  circular  cake  ;  then  he  pared 
away  the  edges,  and  afterwards  commenced  opera- 


204  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

tions  with  his  knife,  scraping  away,  till  he  had 
formed  both  sides  into  a  perfect  convex  shape. 
Lastly,  he  took  it  between  his  mittens,  and  rubbed 
it  round  and  round,  till  he  turned  it  out  with  a  fine 
polish. 

"  There,"  he  said ;  "  there  is  a  fine  burning-glass 
for  you." 

"  A  burning-glass,"  I  answered,  laughing.  "  A 
piece  of  ice,  shaped  like  a  burning-glass  ;  but  you 
will  never  get  anything  like  fire  out  of  that,  I 
should  think." 

"  I  should  think  not,"  said  Terence,  but  not  in 
the  same  positive  way  that  I  had  spoken  ;  for  he 
had,  justly,  a  great  respect  for  everything  Andrew 
did. 

"  Give  me  your  h:»nd  here,  then,"  said  Andrew, 
to  me.  I  took  off  my  mitten,  and  gave  it  him  wil- 
lingly. He  looked  at  the  sun,  which  was  shining 
brightly,  and  held  the  ice  between  it  and  my  hand. 
I  saw  a  little  bright  spot  appear  on  my  hand ;  but 
I  thought  nothing  of  that,  till,  feeling  an  acute  sen 
sation  of  burning,  I  snatched  my  hand  away  in  a 
hurry,  to  the  amusement  of  my  companions. 

"  I  thought  it  would  answer,"  exclaimed  Andrew, 
triumphantly.  "  I  saw  the  master  of  a  whaler  I 
was  once  on  board  make  several  like  this,  and  play 
the  same  trick  to  his  people  I  played  you ;  and  he 
afterwards  explained,  that  any  perfectly  transpa- 
rent substance,  in  a  convex  shape,  that  is,  bulging 
out,  like  this,  will  collect  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and 
form  a  burning-glass.  But,  now,  while  the  sun  is 
out,  and  before  our  burning-glass  melts,  let  us  light 
a  fire,  and  boil  our  soup." 

The  chips  we  had  collected  very  rapidly  dried ; 
so  we  soon  had  a  fire  kindled  by  this  unexpected 
means.  The  soup  refreshed  us  wonderfully  ;  but 
we  were  very  sparing  of  it,  by  Andrew's  advice ; 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       205 

for  we  could  not  tell  how  long  we  might  have  to 
remain  without  means  of  obtaining  more  food. 

Thus  passed  away  our  first  day  on  the  iceberg, 
without  a  sail  appearing  in  the  horizon  to  afford  us 
a  hope  of  rescue. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Introduces  a  Second  Day. —  I  dream  of  Home. — A  Sail  in  sight- 
winch  disappears. — An  Iceberg  in  motion. — We  try  our  Raft 
— We  are  not  seen. — A  Breexe  springs  up. — The  Iceberg  cap- 
sizes. 

THAT  night  overcome  by  fatigue,  strange  as  it 
may  seem,  we  all  slept  soundly.  The  sun  again 
rose  and  discovered  us  still  floating  in  safety  on 
our  unstable  resting-place.  The  day  passed  much 
as  the  former  one  had  done. 

We  had  been  actively  employed  during  the  great- 
er part  of  it,  and  therefore  in  spite  of  our  extra- 
ordinary position,  and  the  deep  anxiety  we  felt  for 
cur  future  fate,  we  were  all  able  to  sleep,  if  not 
very  soundly,  at  least  for  some  hours,  when  the 
third  night  closed  in  upon  us.  I  need  not  say,  that 
Andrew  offered  up  our  prayers  aloud  for  deliver- 
ance to  the  Great  Being,  who  had  hitherto  so  mer- 
cifully preserved  us. 

I  dreamed,  it  seemed  to  me,  all  night  long. 
Sometimes  I  was  at  home  with  my  father  and  mo- 
ther and  sweet  sisters  ;  and  they  were  all  laughing 
and  talking,  while  we  stood  at  the  window  of  the 
dining-hall,  and  looked  out  at  the  beautiful  and  fa- 
miliar prospect  before  it.  Some  one  was  describ- 
ing to  them  some  adventures  very  similar  to  mine  ; 
but  I  felt  that  I  could  have  nothing  to  do  with 
them,  for  I  was  still,  I  knew,  on  an  iceberg  in  the 
northern  ocean,  likely  any  moment  to  be  over- 

R 


206  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

whelmed  beneath  it.  Then  I  thought  a  ship  ap 
peared,  and  Captain  Dean  was  at  the  helui,  and 
that  sweet  Mary,  dressed  in  white,  and  looking  like 
a  seraph,  stood  on  the  forecastle  waving  to  me  to 
come  off  to  them.  I,  of  course,  could  not  move  ;  for 
my  feet  were  jammed  into  a  hole  in  the  ice,  and  I 
struggled  in  vain  to  drag  them  out.  On  a  sudden 
a  storm  arose,  and  Mary  shrieked ;  and  even  her 
lather  turned  pale  as  the  ship  rose  on  the  tops  of 
the  angry  billows,  and  rolled  over  and  over,  bow 
foremost,  till  she  was  lost  to  my  sight  in  the  dis- 
tance. I  cried  out  with  terror,  and  my  own  voice 
awoke  me,  when  I  found  that  my  feet  were  project- 
ing beyond  the  shelter  of  the  sail,  and  were  bit- 
terly cold. 

I  got  up  to  warm  them  by  stamping  them  up  and 
down,  and  the  noise  awoke  my  companions.  They 
naturally  told  me  to  lie  down  and  be  quiet ;  but  the 
night  was  so  fine  and  calm,  that  I  said  I  would  go 
a  little  way  from  them  not  to  disturb  them,  and 
would  walk  up  and  down  for  an  hour  or  so.  I  had 
no  fancy  for  any  more  of  those  dreadful  dreams, 
and  I  felt  that  the  exercise  would  do  me  good.  Aa 
I  looked  out  on  the  tranquil,  dark-shining  sea,  in 
which  the  glittering  stars  floating,  so  it  seemed,  in 
the  blue  aether  above  me,  were  reflected  as  in  a 
mirror,  all  sorts  of  strange  fancies  came  into  my 
head.  I  remembered  all  I  had  read  or  heard  of 
mermen  and  mermaids,  of  ocean  monsters  and  sea- 
spirits,  and  I  could  scarcely  persuade  myself  that 
I  did  not  see  some  gliding  before  me.  Certainly  I 
could  hear  them ;  now  there  was  a  distant  roar  ;  now 
a  loud  snorting  noise  near  me  ;  there  were  voicea 
wandering  through  the  air,  and  strains  of  sweet 
music  seemed  to  come  up  from  the  deep.  I  waa 
almost  positive  I  could  hear  music ;  sweet  and  faint 
and  soft  as  a  seraph's  sigh,  it  came  down  to  my  eai 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       *J07 

on  the  gentle  wind.  I  would  on  no  account  have 
missed  listening  to  that  enchanting  melody. 

For  a  long  time  I  continued  gazing  on  the  sea 
without  feeling  any  inclination  to  sleep,  when  I 
fancied  that  I  saw  the  dark  sails  of  a  ship  about  a 
mile  off,  and  directly  to  windward  of  us.  I  peered 
into  the  darkness  to  assure  myself;  for  I  did  not 
like  causelessly  to  arouse  my  companions.  How 
eagerly  I  looked  may  be  supposed.  If  there  was  a 
ship  where  I  supposed,  the  music  I  had  heard  must 
have  come  from  her.  At  last  I  was  almost  confi- 
dent that  there  was  a  ship  ;  but  as  I  had  my  doubts, 
I  went  back  to  Andrew  and  touched  his  arm. 

"  Andrew,"  I  said,  trembling  all  over  in  my 
eagerness,  "  I  do  not  wish  to  raise  false  hopes,  but 
look  out  there,  and  tell  me  what  you  see." 

"  See,  lad  1  why  a  sail ;  there's  no  doubt  of  it," 
he  exclaimed  hurriedly.  "  A  barque-rigged  vessel 
standing  on  a  bowline  to  the  north-west.  She's  a 
whaler,  I  suspect ;  but  how  to  make  the  keenest 
ears  on  board  hear  us,  is  a  puzzle." 

We  called  Terence  and  Tom,  who  instantly 
sprung  to  their  feet  and  joined  us  in  looking  out 
for  the  stranger. 

"  Could  we  not  make  a  fire  as  a  signal  ?"  I 
asked  ;  "  that  would  attract  her." 

"  You  forget  that  our  flint  and  steel  went  over- 
board ;  and  the  ice  without  the  sun  won't  light  a 
fire,"  he  answered ;  "  but  we  will  see  what  our 
voices  can  do.  Now,  my  lads,  let's  hail  together." 

On  that,  standing  up,  throwing  out  our  chests, 
and  putting  our  hands  to  our  mouths,  we  gave  a 
shout  which  none  but  strong  lungs  could  have 
uttered.  It  must  have  been  carried  a  good  mile  to 
windward  over  the  calm  sea,  but  no  responding  cry 
jame  down  to  our  anxious  ears. 

''  There  is  no  use  wearing  out  our  lungs  with 


208  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

hallooing,"  said  Terence.  "They  wouldn't  hear  us, 
up  to  windward,  there,  even  if  they  were  much 
nearer.  We  must  have  patience,  shipmates  !  it's 
no  use." 

"  God's  will  be  done,"  ejaculated  Andrew.  "  He 
may  yet  think  fit  to  send  us  help." 

The  tone  Andrew  gave  to  our  minds  prevented 
us  from  despairing,  or  sinking  into  despondency. 
I  do  not  mean  to  say,  that  we  did  not  at  first  feel 
the  most  bitter  diappointment,  as  the  ship  receded 
into  the  darkness  which  surrounded  us  ;  but  this 
feeling  did  not  endure — we,  as  our  wise  companion 
advised  us,  "  trusted  in  God  that  he  would  save  us  !" 
and  we  all  along  felt  that  he  would  do  so. 

We  earnestly  watched  the  ship  as  long  as  she 
was  visible,  and  long  after,  though  we  scarcely  ex- 
pected her  to  tack,  or  to  re-pass  near.  At  length 
we  returned  to  our  raft,  and  endeavored  to  forget 
our  disappointment  in  sleep.  We  lay  down,  under 
our  seal- skin  and  sail ;  and,  after  an  hour's  trial,  I 
once  more  closed  my  eyes.  How  long  I  had  slept, 
I  do  not  know  ;  when  I  was  again  awoke  by  a  loud 
noise,  and  a  violent  movement  of  the  iceberg. 

Andrew  started  up,  exclaiming,  "  The  time  has 
come ;  hold  on  to  the  raft,  my  lads  ;  hold  on." 

He,  meantime,  seized  a  boarding-pike,  ready  to 
steady  the  raft.  His  impression  was,  that  the  ice- 
berg was  in  the  act  of  rolling  over,  and  that  now 
was  the  time  our  raft  would  be  of  service,  if  it  could 
survive  the  waves  caused  by  the  submersion  of  the 
snow-formed  mountain  on  which  we  rested. 

We  waited  in  awful  suspense,  believing  that  our 
last  moment  had  indeed  arrived.  It  is  difficult  to 
calculate  time  on  such  occasions.  Gradually  the 
rocking  movement  of  the  berg  ceased ;  and  we 
found,  that  the  ledge,  on  which  we  were  posted, 
had  sloped  rather  more  towards  the  water  than  be- 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       209 

fore,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  continue  holding 
on  by  the  boarding-pike,  to  prevent  its  gliding  oft". 

"  What  has  happened  ?"  I  exclaimed,  as  I  first 
again  drew  breath  freely.  "  I  thought  it  was  all 
over  with  us." 

"  So  did  I,  lad,  at  first,  before  I  had  time  to 
think.  I  now  suspect  the  cause  of  the  commotion  ; 
and  it  is  a  mercy  that  the  consequences  have  not 
been  more  terrible.  When  the  circumstance  which 
has  just  taken  place  happens,  the  whalers  say,  that 
an  iceberg  has  calved — that  is,  a  huge  lump  of  ice 
has  broken  away  from  the  base  of  the  berg,  and  has 
floated  up  to  the  top  of  the  water.  The  noise  we 
heard  was,  when  it  struck  against  other  parts,  and 
first  came  to  the  surface.  The  loss  of  a  large  mass- 
of  course,  makes  the  berg  lop-sided ;  and,  should 
another  lump  break  away,  it  mav  go  right  over. 
Should  we  survive  till  the  morning,  we  shall  pro- 
bably see  the  calf  floating  near  us.  I  have  known 
large  ships  overwhelmed  by  bergs  falling  on  them. 
You  know,  that  it  is  the  custom  to  moor  ships  to 
the  lee-side  of  a  berg,  to  prevent  their  drifting  to 
leeward  with  a  contrary  wind.  A  friend  of  mine, 
who  gave  mo  the  account,  belonged  to  a  whaler,  the 
Thomas,  of  Hull,  Captain  Taylor,  fishing  in  Davis' 
Straits.  Well,  one  day,  they  lay  moored  to  an  ice- 
berg, with  a  long  scope  of  warp  out,  and  thought 
themselves  quite  secure.  On  a  sudden,  without 
any  notice,  as  they  were  sitting  at  dinner,  a  tre- 
mendous noise  was  heard,  and  a  blow  was  felt,  just 
as  if  the  ship  had  struck  on  a  rock.  Up  went  the 
bow  in  the  air,  till  the  keel  showed  above  water, 
and  the  taffrail  was  almost  under  it.  All  thought 
the  ship  must  go  down ;  but  still  she  floated,  not 
much  the  worse  for  the  blow.  It  was  found,  what 
ail  the  old  whale-men  knew  well  enough,  that  a  calf 
had  broken  away  from  the  bottom  of  the  berg  ;  bu^ 
*»  18 


210  PETER    THE    WHALER, 


fortunately,  had  struck  the  keel  fairly,  without  in- 
juring the  ship's  bottom.  Sometimes  a  calf  falls 
from  the  top  of  a  berg ;  but  I  hope  one  will  not 
come  down  on  our  heads  ;  for,  if  it  does,  it  will  set- 
tle us  outright." 

Andrew  said  this  quite  calmly,  though  he  felt 
that  what  he  was  describing  might  any  moment 
happen.  He  afterwards  reminded  us  that  pieces 
were  more  likely  to  fall  from  the  summit  in  the 
day-time,  when  the  sun  was  shining  on  it,  than  at 
night ;  and  that,  therefore,  we  should  not  let  the 
thought  oppress  us. 

It  may  be  supposed  that  we  did  not  sleep,  nor 
attempt  to  sleep,  any  more  that  night.  As  there 
was  no  moon,  we  had  not  any  means  of  ascertain- 
ing how  the  time  passed  ;  but  we  calculated  that  it 
was  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the  last 
occurrence  I  have  described  took  place.  The  air 
had  been  very  light  when  I  first  looked  out ;  now  it 
was  a  perfect  calm,  so  that  not  even  a  ripple  was 
heard  against  the  side  of  the  berg.  We  were, 
therefore,  not  uncomfortable,  as  far  as  our  feelings 
went,  could  we  have  divested  ourselves  of  the  re- 
collection of  the  peril  to  which  we  were  momenta- 
rily exposed. 

0  how  long  that  night  seemed  !  I  fancied  that  it 
would  never  have  an  end ;  each  minute  seemed  pro- 
longed to  an  hour — each  hour  to  a  winter's  night. 
Sometimes  we  talked,  and  listened  to  Andrew's  de- 
scription of  the  events  which  had  occurred  to  him 
when  he  before  visited  the  polar  sea.  At  other 
times  we  were  all  silent  together  ;  but  Andrew  took 
care  this  should  not  last  long  :  and  never  did  man 
BO  exert  himself  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  his  com- 
oanions.  He  was  actuated  by  a  true  Christian 
spirit ;  and  nothing  else  would  have  enabled  him, 
I  am  confident,  to  forget  himself  and  watch  ovar  us 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      211 

m  the  way  lie  did.  There  had  been  a  spell  of  si- 
lence, when  Terence  exclaimed — "  What  say  you, 
Andrew,  if  we  were  to  launch  our  raft,  and  try  to 
reach  the  coast  of  Newfoundland  while  the  calm 
lasts  ?  It  might  be  done,  might  it  not  1n  "  I  think 
not,"  was  Andrew's  reply.  "  While  we  remain  on 
the  iceberg,  we  have  a  chance  of  being  seen  ;  but, 
on  a  raft,  a  ship  may  pass  close  to  us  and  not  heed 
us,  while,  if  a  gale  should  come  on,  the  raft  would 
not  live  an  instant.  Even  should  we  near  the  coast, 
which  I  do  not  think  likely,  we  should  probably  be 
knocked  to  pieces  on  the  rocks  ;  so  I  say,  stay  to 
the  last  extremity.  If  the  iceberg  won't  hold  us, 
then  take  to  the  raft." 

Of  course  we  determined  to  follow  Andrew's  ad- 
vice ;  indeed,  we  all  looked  up  to  him  as  our  guide 
and  captain.  With  no  little  thankfulness  did  we 
welcome  the  first  streaks  of  dawn  in  the  eastern 
horizon.  Again  we  knelt  down  and  offered  our 
prayers  to  Heaven.  We  h:icl  scarcely  risen  to  our 
feet  when  a  shout  of  joy  escaped  from  our  lips  ;  for 
there,  in  the  grey  misty  dawn,  with  her  canvass 
hanging  against  her  masts,  lay  motionless  on  the 
calm  water  a  ship — the  same,  doubtless,  which  we 
fancied  had  passed  far  from  us  in  the  night.  Was 
that  calm  sent  by  Providence  to  effect  our  salva- 
tion ?  The  result  will  prove  it,  or  when  his  now 
inscrutable  ways  are  made  manifest.  How  our 
hearts  beat  with  hope  and  fear.  My  first  impulse 
was  to  scream  out  to  her.  I  checked  myself,  and 
asked  Andrew  what  he  would  advise.  He  did  not 
Answer  for  some  time. 

Eagerly  we  watched  the  stranger ;  she  was  a 
barque — a  whaler,  no  doubt.  "  Will  she  see  us  ?" 
we  asked  one  another.  "  Will  she  near  the  iceberg 
again,  or  will  she  sail  off  in  an  opposite  direction  ?' 

Those  who  have  been  placed  in  a  similar  position 


212  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

to  the  one  in  which  we  were,  can  alone  tr-ily  com 
prehend  to  the  full  the  intensity  of  our  feelings. 
We  could  scarcely  breathe — we  could  scarcely 
speak.  All  our  thoughts  were  concentrated  in  that 
one  point ;  our  very  being  seemed  wrapped  up,  as 
it  were,  in  it.  The  night  had  passed  slowly  away  ; 
but  still  more  slow  did  the  light  of  day  seem  to 
creep  over  the  world. 

I  said  we  were  for  some  time  silent.  At  last 
Andrew  answered  my  question,  by  saying,  "  The 
first  thing  we  must  do,  shipmates,  is  to  climb  up  to 
the  top  of  the  berg,  and  spread  out  our  red  hand- 
kerchiefs, so  as  to  show  a  broad  face  to  those  ou 
board  yonder  vessel.  As  soon  as  the  sun  is  high 
enough,  we'll  try  and  light  a  fire,  arid  the  smoke 
may  be  seen  by  them  ;  but  if  not,  then  we  must 
trust  ourselves  to  the  raft,  and  try  to  paddle  up  to 
her.  Perhaps  we  may  reach  her  before  a  breeze 
springs  up  ;  but  perhaps  not — yet  I  don't  think 
it  will  get  up  till  noon." 

"  But  why  not  get  on  the  raft  at  once  ?"  I  urged, 
for  I  had  more  confidence  in  it  than  he  had. 

"  Because,  if  we  do,  we  may  not  be  able  to  return 
to  the  iceberg,  which  we  should  wish  to  do  if  we 
miss  the  ship,"  he  answered.  "  But  on  that  point 
I  will  agree  to  what  you  all  wish.  What  do  you 
say,  Tom  ?  you  are  the  youngest,  and  should  speak 
first." 

"  I  say,  then,  let  us  try  the  raft,"  said  Tom,  who 
fancied  even,  that  he  could  swim  to  the  ship. 

"  And  so  do  I,"  I  added. 

"  And  I,"  exclaimed  Terence  eagerly.  "  We'll 
drive  her  up  to  the  ship  in  no  time." 

"  Then,  shipmates,  the  sooner  we  aie  off  the  bet- 
ter," we  all  cried  out  together. 

Terence  and  I  climbed  up  to  the  top  of  the  berg, 
juid  spread  out  our  handkerchiefs  between  two 


HIS    cJARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       213 


spars,  and  we  thought  they  could  not  fail 
of  being  seen.  Andrew  and  Tom,  meantime,  were 
filling  the  iron  pot  with  water,  collecting  some  of 
our  seal-flesh,  and  otherwise  getting  our  raft  ready. 
Securing  one  end  of  our  rope  to  a  point  of  ice,  we 
eased  the  raft  carefully  down  into  the  sea.  To  our 
satisfaction  it  floated  well  alongside,  but  it  re- 
quired great  caution  not  to  upset  it  as  we  stepped 
upon  it.  We  at  once  saw  that  Andrew  had  good 
reason  for  not  wishing  to  trust  to  it  ;  for  no  sooner 
were  Ave  on  it,  than,  calm  as  the  sea  was,  the  water 
washed  completely  over  it  ;  and  had  we  not  placed 
two  planks  across  it  to  sit  on,  we  should  have  been 
wet  through  directly.  We  each  of  us  held  a  small 
piece  of  the  boat's  planking  in  our  hands  to  serve 
as  paddles. 

"  Away  we  go,  my  lads,"  exclaimed  Terence,  as 
he  gave  a  strong  shove  against  the  iceberg  with  a 
boarding  pike  ;  and  with  a  cheer,  which,  perilous  as 
was  our  adventure  we  could  not  repress,  we  began 
vigorously  to  ply  our  paddles.  It  was  a  matter  of 
life  and  death  we  saw.  If  we  missed  the  ship,  our 
chance  of  returning  to  the  iceberg  was  small  indeed. 
Our  progress  was  very  slow.  We  might  have  made 
a  mile  an  hour,  perhaps  not  so  much,  and  we  had 
three  miles  to  go  at  least.  Still  we  did  not  flag  in 
our  exertions.  We  each  of  us  chewed  a  piece  of 
seal's  flesh  to  stay  our  hunger,  though  we  bad  no 
inclination  or  power  to  swallow  anything.  We 
scarcely  spoke  a  word  all  the  time,  but  every  now 
and  then  we  turned  a  glance  back,  to  judge  how 
far  we  had  got  from  our  late  abode. 

One  mile  was  passed,  and  we  were  not  seen.  In- 
deed. so  small  a  speck  as  we  were  on  the  ocean,  we 
could  not  expect  to  be  observed  till  the  sun  had 
risen.  Our  great  anxiety  was  respecting  t\  e  wind 
—still  the  sea  continued  calm  as  a  mirror.  On  we 


214  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

went — our  eyes  were  on  the  ship's  sails.  Alas  ! 
a  light  cat's-paw  skimmed  across  the  ocean — the 
top-gallant  sails  of  the  barque  blew  out ;  but  be- 
fore they  had  any  influence  in  impelling  her  through 
the  water,  they  again  drooped  as  before.  Another 
cat's-paw  came  stronger  than  the  first,  and  rippled 
the  whole  surrounding  surface. 

0  with  what  agony  we  saw  the  topsails  bulge 
out,  and  the  barque's  head  turn  from  us.  We  si- 
multaneously shouted,  or  rather  shrieked  out  in 
our  eagerness,  It  was  of  no  avail.  We  strove  to 
drive  the  raft  on  faster  than  before.  What  could* 
our  utmost  efforts  accomplish  in  overtaking  a  ship, 
her  sails  filled  even  with  the  light  air  then  blowing. 
No  longer  were  cat!s-paws  playing  on  the  surface 
of  the  sea  ;  but.  a  well-defined  ripple,  almost  small 
waves,  were  covering  every  part  of  it ;  and  as  we 
worked  our  way  among  them,  they  washed  around 
our  feet.  Every  sail  on  board  the  barque  began  to 
draw — she  had  got  steerage-way,  and  was  standing 
from  us.  We  were  not  seen,  and  hope,  which  had 
hitherto  sustained  us,  fled.  Our  hearts  sunk,  and 
scarcely  could  we  longer  ply  our  useless  paddles. 

"  Andrew,  what  say  you  to  this  ?"  asked  Terence, 
at  length. 

"  Persevere  to  the  last,  like  men,"  replied  An- 
drew. "  We  may  have  to  return  to  the  iceberg  ; 
but  even  then  we  must  not  lose  courage,  or  our 
trust  in  Providence." 

Just  then  the  sun  rose  from  his  watery  bed  witk 
glorious  refulgence  in  an  unclouded  sky.  I  looked 
Back,  to  judge  how  far  we  had  got  from  the  iceberg. 
Truly  if  it  had  appeared  beautiful  when  we  were 
on  it,  doubly  so  did  it  appear  now,  glittering  on  the 
beams  of  the  sun  ;  some  parts  of  alabaster  white- 
aess,  and  the  rest  tinged  with  hues  of  gold  and 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       215 

pink  and  most  transparent  blue.  It  was  an  object 
well  calculated  to  attract  the  eyes  of  a  stranger. 

A  cry  from  my  companions  made  me  turn  my 
head.  The  barque's  sails  were  shivering,  as  she 
luffed  up  to  the  wind.  Directly  after  a  boat  waa 
seen  to  be  lowered,  and  quickly  being  manned,  it 
pulled  towards  us.  Then,  indeed,  our  hearts  rose 
in  our  bosoms,  and  we  shouted  with  joy.  Poor 
Tom,  from  the  great  revulsion  of  feeling,  was  nearly 
fainting  and  falling  off  the  raft,  had  we  not  support- 
ed him.  Still  we  paddled  on,  and  the  boat  seemed 
to  fly  towards  us.  She  was  quite  close  to  us,  when, 
in  our  joy,  we  waved  our  paddles  above  our  heads, 
and  gave  way  to  another  shout. 

"  Hillo,  who  have  we  here  ?"  exclaimed  a  voice 
from  the  boat.  "  What,  mates,  we  did'nt  see  you." 

Such  was  the  case ;  they  had  seen  our  signal, 
but  had  overlooked  us.  The  surgeon  of  the  ship, 
never  having  before  seen  an  iceberg,  was  gazing  at 
it  with  his  glass,  and  was  the  first  to  remark  our 
handkerchiefs  ;  and  not  being  able  to  make  out 
what  they  were,  he  had  directed  to  them  the  cap- 
tain's attention.  He  was  in  the  boat,  and  assisted 
to  help  us  off  our  raft. 

Once  on  board  and  safe,  the  strength,  which  had 
hitherto  supported  us,  gave  way,  and  we  sunk  down 
to  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  overpowered  with  various 
emotions.  I  trust  and  believe  that  we  were  all  of 
us  grateful  to  Heaven  for  our  wonderful  preserva- 
tion. 

The  boat  towed  our  raft  alongside,  as  it  was  too 
valuable  for  firewood  to  be  lost.  We  were  hoisted 
on  board,  unable  to  help  ourselves,  and  were  re- 
ceived by  the  master,  officers,  and  crew  with  the 
greatest  kindness  and  attention.  The  surgeon  or- 
dered us  at  once  to  be  put  into  warm  hammocks, 
wnile  some  warm  liquid  was  poured  down  our 


216  PETER   THE    WHALER, 

throats,  which  soon  restored  us.  However,  no  one 
questioned  us  about  our  adventures  till  we  were 
more  completely  recovered. 

Two  events  occurred  which  ought  to  have  in- 
creased, if  they  did  not,  our  sense  of  gratitude  for 
our  preservation.  Scarcely  had  our  feet  touched 
the  deck  of  the  barque  than  a  strong  breeze  sprang 
up,  which  sent  her  at  the  rate  of  some  seven  knots 
an  hour  through  the  water,  far  away  from  the  ice- 
berg. Before,  however,  she  had  run  out  of  sight 
of  that  floating  island,  its  glittering  summits  were 
seen  to  lean  forward,  and  with  a  sound,  which  could 
be  heard  at  that  distance,  to  fall  prostrate  in  the 
water  ;  while  the  waves,  created  by  its  submersion, 
reached  so  far  as  perceptibly  to  lift  the  ship  as 
they  passed.  Thus  was  I,  with  my  companions, 
preserved  from  the  most  awful  and  perilous  posi- 
tion in  which  I  was  ever  placed. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

The  Whale  Ship.— I  join  her.— A  Description  of  a  Whaler.— Her 
Boats,  Harpoons,  and  other  Gear.— The  Crow's  Nest.— AU 
ready  for  Fishing. — Reach  a  Field  of  Ice. — Narrow  Escape. 

THE  vessel,  on  board  which  we  so  happily  found 
ourselves,  was  called  "  The  Shetland  Maid,"  her 
master,  Captain  John  Kendall.  She  measured  three 
hundred  and  fifty  tons,  was  barque-rigged,  and  per- 
fectly fitted  as  a  whaler,  being  also  strengthened 
by  every  means  which  science  could  devise,  to 
enable  her  to  resist  tho  pressure  of  the  ice  to 
which  such  vessels  must  inevitably  be  exposed  iii 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       217 

their  progress  through  the  Arctic  seas.  She  had 
forty-two  souls  on  board,  including  officers,  being 
some  few  short  of  her  complement,  as  two  fell  sick 
in  Orkney  before  leaving,  and  two  were  unhappily 
lost  overboard  in  a  furious  gale  she  encountered 
s<x)n  after  sailing. 

Andrew,  Terence,  and  I,  remained  two  days  be- 
low under  the  doctor's  care,  and  by  the  third  had 
completely  recovered  our  usual  strength.  Toin 
Stokes,  who  had  suffered  most,  and  was  not  natu 
rally  so  strong,  took  a  week  before  he  came  round. 

As  soon  as  we  appeared  on  deck,  the  captain 
called  us  aft,  and  desired  to  know  our  adventures. 
Andrew  was  the  spokesman  ;  and  the  captain  ex- 
pressed himself  much  pleased  with  our  messmate's 
mode  of  narrating  them. 

"  Well,  my  men,"  he  said,  "  I  have  lost  some  of 
my  crew  ;  and  I  suppose  you'll  have  no  objection 
to  entering  regularly  for  the  voyage  in  their  place. 
You'll  share  with  the  other  able  seamen  eighteen 
pence  for  each  ton  of  oil,  you  know,  besides  monthly 
wages." 

We  told  him  that  we  should  be  glad  to  enter, 
and  would  sign  articles  when  he  pleased  ;  and  that 
we  would  answer  for  Tom  Stokes,  that  he  would 
do  the  same. 

Behold  me  at  last,  then,  as  I  have  styled  myself, 
Peter  the  Whaler.  We  were  now  standing  to  the 
northward,  and  rapidly  approaching  the  ice.  Be- 
fore, however,  I  proceed  with  an  account  of  my  ad- 
ventures, I  will  describe  the  ship,  her  officers  and 
crew,  and  the  peculiar  arrangements  made  to  fit  her 
for  the  service  in  which  she  was  employed. 

Captain  Kendall  was  a  well-educated,  intelligent, 

bravo,  and,  I  feel  sure,  a  truly  religious  man.     1 

may  say,  without  more  than  justice,  that  he  waa 

the  father  of  his  crew.     His  father  bad  been  in  tha 

19  s 


218  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

same  service  before  him  for  many  years  ;  and  he 
had  the  advantage  of  his  experience,  to  which  he 
added  the  knowledge  he  himself  had  gained.  I  d«i 
not  give  him  as  a  specimen  of  the  masters  of  all 
whalers,  for  I  fear  there  are  few  like  him,  though 
they  must  of  necessity  be  intelligent  and  superior 
men.  There  were  three  mates.  The  chief  mate, 
Mr.  Ford,  was  also  chief  harpooner,  or  specksioneer. 
Then  there  were  the  other  harpooners,  boat-steer- 
ers,  line-managers,  and  coopers,  besides  foremast- 
men,  landsmen,  and  apprentices. 

It  is  not  the  custom  to  pay  simply  monthly 
wages  ;  but  as  an  inducement  to  all  hands  to  exert 
themselves  in  their  several  capacities  in  capturing 
fish,  they  receive  a  gratuity  for  every  size  fish 
caught  during  the  voyage,  or  a  certain  sura  for 
every  tun  of  oil  winch  the  cargo  produces.  The 
master  gets  scarcely  any  pay  if  he  has  no  success 
in  his  voyage ;  but  for  every  whale  killed  he  gets 
three  guineas  ;  from  ten  to  twenty  shillings  for 
each  tun  of  oil ;  and  a  thirtieth  to  a  twentieth  on 
the  value  of  the  cargo,  so  that  he  may  make  as 
much  as  £500  by  a  single  voyage  ;  the  chief  mate 
may  get  nearly  a  hundred ;  and  the  seamen  £25 
each.  Many  of  the  ships  belong  to  Hull,  and  other 
northern  ports  of  England  and  Scotland  ;  but  it  is 
usual  to  touch  at  the  Orkneys  or  Shetland,  to  com- 
plete the  complement  of  the  crew  with  the  hardy 
islanders  who  inhabit  them. 

A  whaler,  in  order  to  withstand  the  shock  of  the 
ice,  is  strengthened  inside,  both  at  the  stem  and 
stern,  by  stout  timbers  placed  in  various  directions, 
and  fastened  securely  together  ;  while  on  the  out- 
side she  is  in  parts  covered  with  a  double,  and  even 
a  treble  planking,  besides  other  thick  pieces,  which 
serve  to  ward  off  the  blows  from  the  parts  most 
likely  to  receive  them.  How  little  all  the  strength- 


HIS    EARLiT   LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.        219 

emng  which  the  art  and  ingenuity  of  man  can  de- 
vise is  of  avail  against  the  mighty  power  of  the 
ice,  I  shall  have  hereafter  to  describe.  The  masts 
of  a  whaler  are  lower  than  in  a  common  merchant- 
man, and  her  sails  are  smaller,  and  cut  in  a  differ- 
ent shape,  the  courses,  or  lower  sails,  decreasing 
towards  the  foot,  so  as  to  be  worked  with  slight 
strength.  Sometimes  this  is  of  importance,  as 
when  all  the  boats  are  away  together  in  chase  of 
whales,  three  or  four  men  alone  remain  on  board 
to  take  care  of  the  ship. 

A  whale-ship,  therefore,  though  she  has  great 
care  and  expense  bestowed  on  her,  has  not.  in  port, 
the  graceful  and  elegant  appearance  possessed  by 
some  other  ships,  bound  to  more  genial  climes. 
The  crew  do  not  sleep  in  hammocks,  as  on  board 
men-of-war  ;  but  in  berths,  or  standing  bed-places, 
erected  on  the  half-deck,  forward.  It  is  a  dark 
retreat ;  and  not  scented  with  sweet  odors,  espe- 
cially after  a  ship  has  begun  to  take  in  her  cargo ; 
but  the  weary  seaman  cares  little  where  he  laya 
his  head,  provided  it  is  in  a  dry  and  warm  place. 

We  next  come  to  the  boats ;  a  very  important 
part  of  the  outfit.  The  bow  and  stern  of  a  whale- 
boat  are  both  sharp,  rise  considerably,  and  are 
nearly  alike.  It  has  great  beam,  or  breadth,  to 
prevent  its  being  dragged,  when  towed  by  a  whale, 
completely  under  the  water.  The  keel  is  convex 
in  the  centre,  to  enable  it  to  be  turned  more  easily  ; 
and,  for  the  same  reason,  it  is  steered  by  an  oar  in- 
stead of  a  rudder.  The  oar  can  also  turn  a  boat, 
when  she  is  at  rest ;  and  can  scull  her,  in  calm 
weather,  up  to  a  whale,  without  noise.  A  large 
size  boat  is  pulled  by  five  oars,  and  one  to  steer  ; 
and  a  small  one,  by  four  oars  ;  the  first  being  from 
twenty-six  to  twenty- eight  feet  long,  and  the  last 
from  twenty-three  to  twenty-four.  A  large  one  ia 


220  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

five  feet  five  inches  in  breadth ;  and  a  small  one, 
five  feet  three  inches. 

The  rowers  include  the  harpooner  and  the  line- 
manager.  They  are  carver-built — that  is.  .he  planka 
are  placed  as  in  a  ship.  Boats,  in  general,  are 
clinker-built — that  is,  the  planks  overlap  each 
other ;  but,  as  they  are  difficult  to  repair,  the  other 
simpler  method  is  employed.  A  ship  generally 
carries  seven  boats — two,  or  more  large ;  and  the 
rest  small.  They  are  suspended  by  cranes,  or 
davits,  in  a  row,  outside  the  rigging,  on  either  side 
of  the  ship,  and  another  astern,  so  that  they  can  be 
directly  lowered  into  the  water.  A  smart  crew  will 
man  and  lower  a  boat  in  the  space  of  *  minute,  and 
be  away  in  chase  of  a  whale. 

When  we  got  on  board,  the  boats'  crews  were 
busily  employed  in  getting  their  respective  boats 
and  gear  ready  for  action.  Each  boat  had  a  har- 
pooner, who  pulled  the  bow  oar — a  steersman,  next 
to  him  in  rank,  who  steered — and  a  line-manager, 
who  pulled  the  after,  or  stroke-oar ;  and,  besides 
them,  were  two  or  three  seamen,  who  pulled  the 
other  oars. 

The  first  operation,  after  cleaning  the  boats,  was, 
to  get  the  lines  spliced  and  coiled  away ;  and  when 
it  is  remembered,  that  each  whale  may  be  worth 
from  five  hundred  to  eight  hundred  pounds,  and  that, 
if  the  lines  are  in  any  way  damaged,  the  fish  may 
be  lost,  it  will  be  acknowledged,  that  they  have 
good  reason  to  be  careful.  Each  line  is  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty  fathoms  long ;  so  that,  when 
the  six  lines,  with  which  each  boat  is  supplied,  are 
spliced  together,  the  united  length  is  seven  hun- 
dred and  twenty  fathoms,  or  four  thousand  three 
hundred  and  twenty  feet. 

A  few  fathoms  of  the  line  is  left  uncovered,  with 
an  eye  at  the  end,  in  order  to  connect  the  lines  of 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       221 

mother  boat  to  it ;  for  sometimes,  when  a  -whale 
swims  far,  or  dives  deep,  the  lines  of  several  boats 
are  joined  together.  The  rest  of  the  line  is  neatly 
and  carefully  coiled  away,  in  the  stern  of  the  boat. 

To  the  upper  end  of  the  line  is  spliced  the 
"fore-ganger  "  of  a  "  spanned  harpoon  ;"  thus  con- 
necting the  harpoon  with  all  the  lines  in  the  boat. 
A  "  fore-ganger  "  is  a  piece  of  rope,  a  few  fathoms 
long,  made  of  white,  or  untanned  hemp,  so  as  to  be 
more  flexible,  and  easily  extended,  when  the  har- 
poon is  projected  from  the  hand. 

As  the  crew  of  each  boat  accomplished  the  work 
of  coiling  away  their  lines,  they  gave  three  hearty 
cheers,  to  which  we  all  responded ;  so  we  had  aa 
much  cheering  as  at  a  sailing  match. 

I  must  try  to  describe  a  harpoon,  for  the  benefit 
of  those  who  have  never  seen  one.  It  is  the  whaler's 
especial  weapon — the  important  instrument  of  his 
success.  It  consists  of  a  "  socket,"  "  shank,"  and 
"  mouth."  The  shank,  which  is  made  of  the  most 
pliable  iron,  is  about  two  feet  long ;  the  socket  is 
about  six  inches  long,  and  swells  from  the  shank  to 
nearly  two  inches  in  diameter ;  and  the  mouth  is 
of  a  barbed  shape,  each  barb  or  wither  being  eight 
inches  long  and  six  broad,  with  a  smaller  barb  re- 
versed in  the  inside.  The  object  of  the  barb,  of 
course,  is  to  prevent  the  harpoon  being  drawn  out 
of  the  whale  after  it  has  been  fixed. 

The  hand  harpoon  is  projected  by  aid  of  a  stock 
or  handle  of  wood,  seven  feet  in  length,  fixed  in  the 
socket.  After  the  whale  is  struck,  this  handle  falls 
out ;  but  it  is  not  lost,  as  it  is  secured  to  the  line 
by  a  loop.  The  line,  it  must  be  remembered,  is 
fastened  to  the  iron  part  of  the  harpoon. 

Harpoon  guns  are  now  frequently  used  for  pro- 
jecting harpoons.  The  harpoon  for  this  purpose  ia 
made  with  two  shanks,  side  by  side,  one  of  7\rhich 


222  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

goes  into  the  bore  of  the  gun  ;  to  the  other  n  tho 
outside  the  line  is  attached. 

On  every  harpoon  is  stamped  the  name  of  tho 
ship,  so  that  it  is  at  once  easy  to  ascertain,  from 
the  weapon  in  the  whale,  hy  whom  it  was  struck. 
Lances  are  also  used,  with  long  handles  and  sharp 
heads,  to  assist  in  killing  the  whale. 

Each  boat  is  furnished  with  two  harpoons,  eight 
lances,  and  some  spare  oars  ;  a  flag,  with  its  staff, 
to  serve  as  a  signal ;  a  "  mik,"  as  a  rest  for  the  har- 

rn,  when  ready  for  instant  service ;  an  axe,  ready 
cutting  the  line  when  necessary ;  a  "  pigging," 
a  small  bucket,  for  bailiug  out  the  boat ;  two  boat- 
hooks,  and  many  other  things  which  I  need  scarcely 
name. 

A  most  important  contrivance  belonging  to  a 
whaler  is  the  crow's-nest,  which  I  may  describe  as 
a  sentry-box  at  the  mast-head  It  is,  perhaps, 
more  like  a  deep  tub,  formed  of  laths  and  canvass, 
with  a  seat  in  it,  and  a  moveable  screen,  which  tra- 
verses on  an  iron  rod,  so  that  it  can  instantly  be 
brought  round  on  the  weather  side.  In  the  bottom 
is  a  trap-door,  by  which  it  is  entered.  Here  the 
master  takes  up  his  post,  to  pilot  his  ship  among 
the  ice ;  and  here,  also,  a  look-out  is  kept,  when 
whales  are  expected  to  appear  in  the  distance. 

Just  consider  how  necessary  it  is  to  have  a  good 
shelter,  when  frequently  the  temperature  of  the  air 
is  from  10°  to  20°  below  the  freezing  point. 

I  must  not  forget  to  mention  the  means  taken 
for  preserving  the  cargo  of  blubber.  This  is  done 
in  casks,  in  which  the  blubber  is  placed  after  it  has 
been  cut  up  into  very  small  portions.  The  casks 
we  stowed  in  the  hold,  and  some  are  placed  between 
decks  ;  and  when  there  has  been  unusual  success, 
sio  that  there  ar3  not  casks  enough,  the  blubber  ii 
Btowc-d  away  in  bulk  among  them. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       223 

The  mode  of  fishing,  and  the  remainder  of  the 
operations,  will  be  described  in  the  course  of  my 
narrative. 

In  three  more  days  we  were  all  ready.  The  har- 
poon guns  Avere  cleaned,  oiled,  and  fastened,  with 
their  swivels,  on  the  "  billet  heads,"  in  the  bows  of 
the  boats.  Each  harpooner  got  a  supply  of  gun- 
powder and  percussion  caps ;  and  all  other  requisites 
were  put  into  the  boats. 

The  crow's-nest  had  been  got  up  to  the  maintop- 
gallant-masthead  ;  and  in  the  afternoon  we  were 
ready,  and  eager  to  attack  the  first  whale  which 
should  appear.  In  the  evening  the  harpoonera 
were  invited  down  into  the  cabin  to  receive  their 
instructions  for  the  season ;  and  afterwards  the 
steward  served  out  a  glass  of  grog  to  all  hands,  to 
drink,  "  a  good  voyage  and  a  full  ship/' 

I  had  fully  expected  to  see  whales  in  such  num- 
bers, that  we  should  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  chase 
and  capture  them ;  but  in  this  I  was  disappointed, 
for  not  a  whale  did  we  meet ;  indeed,  with  the  heavy 
sea  then  running,  had  we  got  hold  of  one,  we  could 
not  have  secured  it.  It  was,  I  ought  to  say,  towards 
the  end  of  April,  and  we  were  in  hourly  expectation 
of  being  among  the  ice  through  which,  at  that  time 
of  the  year,  it  was  expected  a  passage  would  easily 
be  found  to  the  northward. 

We  had  seen  several  icebergs  which,  like  their 
companion  on  which  the  corvette  was  wrecked, 
had  early  broken  away  from  the  main  body,  as  also 
washing  pieces  and  several  large  floes ;  but  we  had 
yet  to  learn  what  a  field  of  ice  was  like. 

It  was  night,  and  blowing  very  hard  from  the 
south-west.  It  was  my  watch  on  deck,  and  Mr. 
Todd,  the  first  mate,  was  officer  of  the  watch.  We 
were  standing  on  a  bowline  under  our  topsails,  a 
sharp  look-out  being  kept  ahead  for  danger.  O'Con- 


224  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

lior  and  I  were  together,  leaning  against  the  bul« 
warks  and  talking.  "  Well,  Terence,"  I  said,  "  1 
would  rather  find  myself  homeward  bound  after  all 
that  has  occurred,  than  be  obliged  to  be  running 
into  a  sea  in  which  we  shall  all  the  time  be  obliged 
to  be  cruising  among  ice." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  consider  much  of  that,"  he  answer- 
ed ;  "  it's  only  a  summer  cruise  you  know ;  and 
when  we  get  back,  we  shall  have  our  pockets  stuffed 
with  gold,  and  be  able  to  talk  of  all  the  wonders  we 
have  seen." 

"  I  hope  we  may  get  back.  I  have  no  fancy  to 
spend  a  winter  on  the  ice,"  I  said. 

"  There  are  pleasanter  places  to  live  in,  no  doubt, 
Peter ;  but  people  have  lived  not  only  one  year,  but 
several  years  running  in  those  regions,  and  have 
not  been  the  worse  for  it,"  replied  Terence. 

Just  then  we  were  startled  by  the  loud  cry  of 
"breakers  ahead."  Mr.  Todd  in  a  moment  saw 
what  was  to  be  done.  "  Wear  ship,"  he  exclaimed. 
"Up  with  the  helm.  Gafftopsail-sheets  let  fly. 
Drop  the  peak.  Square  away  the  after  yards." 

While  these  and  other  orders  were  given  and 
executed,  in  order  to  take  the  pressure  of  the  wind 
off  the  after  part  of  the  ship,  and  to  make  her  head 
turn  from  it,  I  glanced  in  the  direction  towards 
which  we  were  running.  A  pale  light  seemed  to 
be  playing  over  it ;  and  I  could  distinguish  amid 
the  foaming  breakers  huge  masses  of  ice,  dashing 
about  and  heaving  one  upon  another,  any  one  of 
•which  I  thought  would  be  sufficient  to  stave  in  the 
sides  of  the  ship,  if  not  to  overwhelm  her  completely. 

At  the  same  time  a  loud,  crashing,  grinding  noise 
vras  heard,  sufficient  to  strike  terror  intp  the  stoutest 
hearts.  But  it  must  be  remembered,  that. we  were 
nil  so  busily  engaged  in  flying  here  and  there  in 
the  performance  of  our  duty,  that  we  had  no  trae 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       225 

for  fear.  This  is  a  great  secret  to  enable  men  to 
go  through  dangers  unappalled.  Had  we  been  com- 
pelled to  stand  inactive,  our  feelings  might  have 
been  very  different. 

The  ship  wore  slowly  round ;  but  still  she 
seemed  approaching  the  threatening  mass.  She 
plunged  more  violently  than  before  amid  the  raging 
sea,  and  in  another  moment  I  felt  certain,  we  must 
be  among  the  upheaving  masses.  Just  then  her 
head  seemed  to  turn  from  them  ;  but  a  sea  struck 
her  on  the  quarter  and  came  rolling  on  board;  a 
tremendous  blow  was  felt  forward,  another  followed. 
Cries  arose  from  some  of  the  men  that  all  was  lost, 
and  I  expected  to  find  the  ship  instantly  dashed  to 
pieces. 

Our  good  captain  rushed  on  deck.  He  cast  one 
glance  aloft  and  another  at  the  ice.  "  She's  clear, 
my  lads,"  he  shouted.  The  ship  came  round,  and 
in"  another  instant  we  were  on  the  eastern  or  lee 
side  of  the  floe,  and  gliding  smoothly  on  in  calm 
water  through  a  broad  passage,  leading  amid  the 
main  body  of  the  polar  ice. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  Visit  from  Father  Neptune.— I  am  made  free  of  the  Arctic 
Regions.—"  A  Fall !  a  Fall !"— Our  First  Fish.— Tom  thinks 
the  Ship  is  sinking. — Tow  our  Prize  alongside. 

OUR  ship  made  good  progress,  considering  the 
impediments  in  her  way,  towards  the  fishing-groundi 
in  the  North,  to  which  she  was  bound.  Sometimes 
we  had  a  clear  sea ;  at  other  times  we  were  sailing 
among  patches  of  ice  and  icebergs,  or  through  lanea 
penetrating  into  packs  of  many  miles  in  extent, 
and  from  which  it  seemed  impossible  we  should 


226  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

ever  again  be  extricated.  Our  captain,  or  one  of 
his  mates,  was  always  at  this  time  in  the  crow's- 
nest,  directing  the  course  of  the  ship  amid  the  dan- 
gers which  surrounded  her. 

I  shall  not  soon  forget  the  first  day  of  May,  which 
I  spent  in  the  icy  sea.  It  was  as  unlike  May-day 
at  home,  as  any  day  could  well  be,  as  far  as  the  tem- 
perature went,  though  we  were  sailing  through  a 
sea  tolerably  free  from  ice. 

"  All  play  to-day,  and  no  work,  my  boy  ;  for  we 
are  going  to  have  a  visit  from  a  king  and  queen," 
said  an  old  whaler,  David  M'Gee,  by  name,  as  he 
gave  me  a  slap  on  the  shoulder,  which  would  have 
warmed  up  my  blood  not  a  little,  if  anything  could 
in  that  biting  Aveather. 

"He  must  be  King  Frost,  then,"  I  answered, 
laughing ;  "  for  we  have  plenty  of  his  subjects 
around  us,  already." 

"  No ;  I  mean  a  regular  built  king,"  said  old 
M'Gee,  winking  at  some  of  his  chums  standing 
around,  who  had  made  many  a  voyage  before.  "He 
boards  every  ship  as  comes  into  these  parts,  to  ask 
them  for  tribute ;  and  then  he  makes  them  free  of 
the  country,  and  welcome  to  come  back  as  often  as 
they  like." 

"  Thank  him  for  nothing,  for  that  same,"  I  an 
swered,  determined  not  to  be  quizzed  by  them. 
"  But  don't  suppose,  David,  I'm  so  jolly  green  as 
to  believe  what  you're  telling  me ;  no  offence  to  you, 
though." 

•'  You'll  see,  youngster,  that  what  I  say  is  true, 
BO  look  out  for  him,"  was  oH  M'Gee's  answer,  as  he 
turned  on  his  heel. 

I  had  observed,  that,  for  a  few  days  past,  the  old 
hands  were  busy  about  some  work,  which  they  kept 
concealed  from  the  youngsters,  or  the  green  hands, 
to  which  class  I  belonged.  Everything  went  on  as 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       227 

usual  till  eight  bells  had  been  struck  at  noon ;  when 
an  immense  garland,  formed  of  ribbons  of  all  colors, 
bits  of  calico,  bunting,  and  artificial  flowers,  or  what 
were  intended  for  them,  was  run  up  at  the  mizen- 
peak.  On  the  top  of  the  garland  was  the  model  of 
a  ship,  full  rigged,  with  sails  set  and  colors  flying. 
Scarcely  had  it  gone  aloft,  when  I  was  startled  with 
a  loud  bellowing  sound,  which  seemed  to  come  from 
a  piece  of  ice  floating  ahead  of  the  ship. 

"  What's  that  ?"  I  asked,  of  old  David,  who  per- 
severed in  keeping  close  to  me  all  the  morning. 
"Is  that  a  walrus,  blowing  ?"  I  thought  it  might  be; 
for  I  could  not  make  it  out. 

"  A  walrus  !  no  ;  I  should  think  not,"  he  answer- 
ed, in  an  indignant  tone.  "My  lad,  that's  King 
Neptune's  trumpeter,  come  to  give  notice,  that  the 
old  boy's  coming  aboard  us  directly.  I've  heard 
him  scores  of  times ;  so  I'm  not  likely  to  be  wrong." 

The  answer  I  gave  my  shipmate  was  not  very 
polite.  One  never  likes  to  be  quizzed ;  and  I,  of 
course,  thought  he  was  quizzing  me. 

"You'll  see,  lad,"  he  answered,  giving  me  no 
gentle  tap  on  the  head,  in  return  for  my  remark. 
"  I'm  not  one  to  impose  on  a  bright  green  youth 
like  you." 

Again  the  bellow  was  heard.  "  That's  not  a  tit 
like  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,"  I  remarked. 

"  Not  like  your  shore-going  trumpets,  may  be," 
eaid  old  David,  with  a  grin.  "  But,  don't  you  know, 
youngster,  the  water  gets  into  these  trumpets,  and 
makes  them  sound  different." 

A  third  bellow  was  followed  by  a  loud  hail,  in  a 
gruff  voice,  "  What  ship  is  that,  ahoy  ?" 

Old  David  ran  forward,  and  answered,  "The 
Shetland  Maid,  Captain  Kendall,  of  Hull." 

"  Heave  to,  while  I  come  aboard,  then ;  for  you've 


228  PETER  THE  WHALER, 

got  some  green  hands  among  you,  I'm  pretty  sure, 
by  the  way  your  gafftop-sail  stands." 

"  Aye,  aye,  your  majesty.  Down  with  the  helm 
— back  the  maintop-sail,"  sung  out  old  David,  with 
as  much  authority  as  if  he  was  captain  of  the  ship. 

His  orders  were  not  obeyed ;  for  before  they  were 
so,  the  gruff  voice  sung  out,  "  Hold  fast !"  and  a 
very  curious  group  made  their  appearance  over  the 
bows,  and  stepped  down  on  deck. 

I  was  not  left  long  in  doubt  as  to  whether  or 
not  there  was  anything  supernatural  about  them. 
"  There,"  exclaimed  David  pointing  with  great  sat- 
isfaction at  them,  "  that  big  one,  with  the  thing  on 
his  head  which  looks  for  all  the  world  like  a  tin 
kettle,  is  King  Neptune,  and  the  thing  is  his  hel 
met.  T'other  with  the  crown  and  the  necklace  of 
spikes  under  her  chin,  is  Mrs.  Neptune,  his  lawful 
wife,  and  the  little  chap  with  the  big  razor,  and 
shaving  dish,  is  his  wally  de  sham  and  trumpeter 
extraordinary.  He's  plenty  more  people  belonging 
to  him,  but  they  haven't  come  aboard  this  time." 

Neptune's  costume  was  certainly  not  what  my 
father's  school-books  had  taught  me  to  expect  his 
majesty  to  wear,  and  I  had  always  supposed  his 
wife  to  be  Amphitrite ;  but  I  concluded  that  in  those 
cold  regions  he  found  it  convenient  to  alter  his 
dress,  while  it  might  be  expected  the  seamen  should 
make  some  slight  mistake  about  names. 

Neptune  himself  had  very  large  whiskers  ;  and  a 
red  nightcap  showed  under  his  helmet.  In  one 
hand  he  held  a  speaking  trumpet,  in  the  other  a 
trident  surmounted  by  a  red  herring.  A  piece  of 
canvass  covered  with  bits  of  colored  cloth  made  him 
a  superb  cloak,  and  a  flag  wound  round  his  waist 
served  him  as  a  scarf.  A  huge  pair  of  sea-boots 
encased  his  feet,  and  a  pair  of  seal-skin  trowsera 
the  upper  part  of  his  legs.  Mrs.  Neptune,  to  show 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      229 

her  feminine  nature,  had  a  frill  round  her  face,  a 
canvass  petticoat,  what  looked  very  like  a  pair  of 
Flushing  trowsers  round  her  neck,  with  the  legs 
brought  in  front  to  serve  as  a  tippet.  The  valet 
had  on  a  paper-cocked  hat.  a  long  pig  tail,  and  a 
pair  of  spectacles  on  a  nose  of  unusual  proportions. 

I  had  read  descriptions  of  Tritons,  the  supposed 
attendants  on  Neptune,  and  I  must  say  his  valet 
was  very  unlike  one.  I  might  have  been  prejudiced ; 
for  I  had  no  reason  to  feel  any  warm  affection  for 
him. 

"  Come  here,  youngster,  and  make  your  bow  to 
King  Neptune,"  exclaimed  David,  seizing  me  ;  and 
with  a  number  of  other  green  hands  I  was  dragged 
forward  and  obliged  to  bob  my  head  several  timea 
to  the  deck  before  his  marine  majesty. 

"  Take  'em  below.  I'll  speak  to  'em  when  I  wants 
'em,"  said  the  king  in  his  gruff  voice.  And  forth- 
with we  were  hauled  off  together,  and  shut  down  in 
the  cable  tier. 

One  by  one  we  were  picked  out,  just  as  the  Ogre 
"Fi,  fo,  fum"  in  the  story  book  picked  out  his 
prisoners  to  eat  them.  There  was  a  considerable 
noise  of  shouting,  and  laughing,  and  thumping  on 
the  decks,  all  of  which  I  understood  when  it  came 
to  my  turn. 

After  three  others  had  disappeared,  I  was  dragged 
out  of  our  dark  prison  and  brought  into  the  presence 
of  Neptune,  who  was  seated  on  a  throne  composed 
of  a  coil  of  ropes,  with  his  court,  a  very  motley  as- 
semblage, arranged  round  him.  In  front  of  him  his 
valet  sat  on  a  bucket  with  two  assistants  on  either 
side,  who,  the  moment  that  I  appeared,  jumped  up 
and  pinioned  my  arms,  and  made  me  sit  down  on 
another  bucket  in  front  of  their  chief. 

"  Now,  young  un,  you  haven't  got  a  beard,  but  you 
may  have  one  some  day  or  other,  so  it's  as  well  to 


230  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

begin  to  shave  in  time,"  exclaimed  Neptune,  nod 
ding  his  head  significantly  to  his  valet. 

The  valet  on  this,  jumping  up  seized  my  head 
between  his  knees,  and  began,  in  spite  of  ny  strug- 
gles, covering  my  face  with  tar.  If  I  attempted  to 
cry  out,  the  tar-brush  was  instantly  shoved  into  my 
mouth  to  the  great  amusement  of  all  hands.  When 
he  had  done  what  he  called  lathering  my  face,  he 
began  to  scrape  it  unmercifully  with  his  notched 
iron-hoop  ;  and  if  I  struggled,  he  would  saw  it  back- 
wards and  forwards  over  my  face. 

When  this  process  had  continued  for  some  time, 
Neptune  offered  me  a  box  of  his  infallible  ointment, 
to  cure  all  the  diseases  of  life.  It  was  a  lump  of 
grease,  and  his  valet  seizing  it,  rubbed  my  face  all 
over  with  it.  He  then  scrubbed  me  with  a  handful 
of  oakum,  which  effectually  took  off  the  tar.  Being 
now  pronounced  shaved  and  clean,  to  rny  great  hor- 
ror Mrs.  Neptune  cried  out  in  a  voice  so  gruff,  that 
one  might  have  supposed  she  had  attempted  to 
swallow  the  best  bower  anchor,  and  that  it  had 
stuck  in  her  throat.  "  Now,  my  pretty  Master 
Green,  let  me  give  you  a  buss,  to  welcome  you  to 
the  Polar  Seas.  Don't  be  coy  now,  and  run  cff." 

This  I  was  attempting  to  do,  and  with  good  rea- 
son, for  Mrs.  Neptune's  cap-frill  was  stuck  so  full 
of  iron  spikes,  that  I  should  have  had  a  good  chance 
of  having  my  eyes  put  out  if  she  had  succeeded  in 
her  intentions,  so  off  I  set,  running  round  the  deck, 
to  the  great  amusement  of  the  crew,  with  Mrs. 
Neptune  after  me.  Luckily  for  me,  she  tripped  up, 
and  I  was  declared  duly  initiated  as  a  North-sea 
whaler.  The  rest  of  my  young  shipmates  had  to 
undergo  the  same  process  ;  and  as  it  was  now  my 
turn  to  look  on  and  laugh,  I  thought  it  very  good 
fun,  and  heartily  joined  in  the  shouts,  to  which  the 
rest  gave  way. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       231 

If  any  one  got  angry,  he  was  soon  made  to  cut 
BO  ridiculous  a  figure,  and  to  feel  his  perfect  help- 
lessness, that  he  was  compelled,  for  his  own  sake, 
to  get  back  his  good-humor  again  without  delay. 
We  had  an  additional  allowance  of  grog  served  out, 
and  what  with  dancing  and  singing,  the  fun  was 
kept  up  till  long  after  dark. 

I  need  scarcely  say,  that  the  representative  of 
his  marine  majesty  was  no  less  a  person  than  the 
red- whiskered  cooper's  mate,  that  his  spouse  was 
our  boatswain,  and  the  valet  his  mate.  I  had  of- 
ten heard  of  a  similar  ceremony  being  practised  on 
crossing  the  line,  but  I  had  no  idea  that  it  was 
general  on  board  all  whale  ships. 

The  fourth  day  of  the  month  was  a  memorable 
one  for  me  and  the  other  green  hands  on  board. 
The  wind  was  from  the  westward,  and  we  were 
Bailing  along  to  the  eastward  of  a  field  of  ice,  about 
two  miles  distant,  the  water  as  smooth  as  in  a  har- 
bor. Daylight  had  just  broke,  but  the  watch  be- 
low were  still  in  their  berths.  The  sky  was  cloudj , 
though  the  lower  atmosphere  was  clear  }  and  An- 
drew, who  was  walking  the  deck  with  me,  observed 
it  was  first-rate  weather  for  fishing,  if  fish  would 
but  show  themselves. 

Not  ten  minutes  after  this,  the  first  mate,  who 
had  gone  aloft  into  the  crow's  nest  to  take  a  look- 
out around,  eagerly  shouted,  "  A  fish — a  fish  !  See, 
she  spouts  !"  and  down  on  the  deck  he  hurried  with 
all  dispatch. 

The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth,  before 
the  crews  of  two  boats  had  jumped  into  them,  and 
were  lowering  them  down,  with  their  harpoons, 
lances,  and  everything  else  ready,  not  forgetting 
Borne  provisions,  for  it  was  impossible  to  say  how 
long  they  might  be  away.  The  chief  mate  jumped 
into  one.  and  the  second  harpooner  into  the  other. 


232  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

in  which  my  friend,  Andrew,  went  as  a  line- man- 
ager. 

Away  they  pulled.  I  looked  over  the  side,  and 
saw  the  whale,  a  mile  off,  floating,  thoughtless  of 
danger,  on  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  and  spouting 
out  a  fountain  of  water  high  into  the  air.  I  fan- 
cied that  I  could  even  hear  the  deep  "  roust  "  he 
made  as  he  respired  the  air,  without  which  he  can- 
not exist  any  more  than  animals  of  the  land  or  air. 
Every  one  on  deck  follows  the  boats  with  eager 
eyes.  The  boat  makes  a  circuit,  so  as  to  approach 
the  monster  in  the  rear  ;  for  if  he  sees  them,  he 
will  be  off  far  down  into  the  ocean,  and  may  not 
rise  for  a  long  distance  away.  With  rapid  strokes 
they  pull  on,  but  as  noiselessly  as  possible.  The 
headmost  boat  is  within  ten  fathoms  of  the  fish — I 
am  sure  it  will  be  ours.  The  harpooner  stands  up 
in  the  bows  with  harpoon  in  hand.  Suddenly,  with 
tail  in  air,  down  dives  the  monster ;  and  the  faces 
of  all  around  me  assume  an  expression  of  black 
disappointment.  It  must  be  remembered,  that  as 
all  on  board  benefit  by  every  fish  which  is  caught, 
all  are  interested  in  the  capture  of  one. 

"  It's  a  loose  fall,  after  all,"  said  old  David  who 
was  near.  "  I  thought  so.  I  shouldn't  be  sur- 
prised if  we  went  home  with  a  clean  ship,  after 
all." 

However,  the  boats  did  not  return.  Mr.  Todd 
was  not  a  man  to  lose  a  chance.  Far  too  experi- 
enced ever  to  take  his  eye  off  a  fish,  while  it  is  in 
sight,  he  marks  the  way  she  headed,  and  is  off  af- 
ter her  to  the  eastward.  With  his  strong  arm  he 
bends  to  the  oar,  and  urges  his  men  to  put  forth 
all  their  strength,  till  the  boat  seems  truly  to  fly 
over  the  water.  On  they  steadily  pull,  neither 
turning  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left,  for  near- 
ly half  an  hour.  Were  it  not  foi  the  ice,  their  toil 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       233 

would  be  useless  ;  but  the  bcat-steerer  looks  out, 
and  points  eagerly  ahead. 

On  they  pull.  Then,  on  a  sudden,  appears  the 
mighty  monster  She  has  risen  to  the  surface  to 
breathe,  a  "  fair  start"  from  the  boat.  The  har- 
pooner  stands  up,  with  his  unerring  weapon  in  his 
hand :  when  was  it  ever  known  to  miss  its  aim  ? 
The  new  fangled  gun  he  disdains.  A  few  strong 
and  steady  strokes,  and  the  boat  is  close  to  the 
whale.  The  harpoon  is  launched  from  his  hand, 
and  sinks  deep  into  the  oily  flesh. 

The  boat  is  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  spray — the 
whole  sea  around  is  one  mass  of  foam.  Has  the 
monster  struck  her,  and  hurled  her  gallant  crew  to 
destruction  ?  No  :  drawn  rapidly  along,  her  broad 
bow  ploughing  up  the  sea,  the  boat  is  seen  to  emerge 
from  the  mist,  with  a  jack  flying,  as  a  signal  that 
she  is  fast ;  while  the  mighty  fish  is  diving  far  be- 
low it,  in  a  vain  effort  to  escape. 

Now  arose,  from  the  mouth  of  every  seaman  on 
deck,  the  joyful  cry  of  "  A  fall,  a  fall  !"  at  the  same 
time  that  every  one  jumped  and  stamped  oh  deck, 
to  arouse  the  sleepers  below  to  hasten  to  the  as- 
sistance of  their  comrades.  We  all  then  rushed  to 
the  boat-falls.  Never,  apparently,  were  a  set  of 
men  in  such  a  desperate  hurry.  Had  the  ship 
been  sinking,  or  even  about  to  blow  up,  we  could 
scarcely  have  made  more  haste. 

The  falls  were  let  go,  and  the  boats  in  the  water, 
as  the  watch  below  rushed  on  deck.  Many  of  the 
people  were  dressed  only  in  their  drawers,  stock- 
ings and  shirts,  while  the  rest  of  tbeir  clothes  were 
in  their  hands,  fastened  together  by  a  lanyard  ; 
but,  without  stopping  to  put  them  on,  they  tum- 
bled into  the  boats,  and  seized  their  oars  ready  to 
ehove  off.  Among  them,  pale  with  terror,  appeared 
poor  Tom  Stokes  and  another  youngster,  in  theii 
T»  20 


234  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

shirts.  They  hurried  distractedly  from  boat  to 
boat.  At  each  they  were  saluted  by  "  We  don't 
want  you  here,  lads — off  with  you — this  isn't  your 
boat." 

I  belonged  to  the  after  or  smallest  boat,  which 
was  most  quickly  manned,  and  most  easily  shoved 
off ;  so  that  I  was  already  at  a  distance  when  he 
ran  aft  and  saw  me  going.  "  0  Peter,  Peter  !"  he 
exclaimed,  in  a  tone  to  excite  our  commiseration, 
though,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  it  only  caused  loud 
shouts  of  laughter,  "you,  who  have  gone  through 
BO  many  dangers  with  me,  to  desert  me  at  last  in  a 
sinking  ship." 

Poor  fellow,  aroused  out  of  a  deep  sleep  by  the 
unusual  sounds,  he  not  unnaturally  thought  the 
ship  was  going  down.  I  heard  the  gruff  voice  of 
the  cooper's  mate  scolding  him  ;  but  what  he  said 
I  don't  know.  The  scolding  must  have  brought 
him  and  the  other  back  to  their  senses  ;  and  they, 
of  course,  went  below  to  get  their  clothes,  and  to 
return  to  assist  in  working  the  ship.  On  such  oc- 
casions, when  all  the  boats  are  away,  the  ship  is 
frequently  left  with  only  the  master,  one  or  two 
Beamen,  and  the  rest  landsmen,  on  board. 

The  moment  the  fast-boat  displayed  her  jack,  up 
went  the  jack  on  board  the  ship,  at  the  mizen-peak. 
to  show  that  assistance  was  coming.  Away  pulled 
the  five  boats,  as  fast  as  we  could  lay  back  to  our 
oars.  The  whale  had  dived  to  an  immense  depth, 
and  the  second  boat  had  fastened  her  line  to  that 
s>f  the  first,  and  had,  consequently,  now  become  the 
fast-boat ;  but  her  progress  was  not  so  rapid,  but 
that  we  had  every  prospect  of  overtaking  her. 
To  retard  the  progress  of  the  whale,  and  to  weary 
it  as  much  as  possible,  the  line  had  been  passed 
round  the  "  bollard,"  a  piece  of  timber  near  the 
item  flf  the  boat.  We  knew  that  the  first  boat 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       235 

wanted  more  line,  by  seeing  an  oar  elevated,  and 
then  a  second,  when  the  second  boat  pulled  ra- 
pidly up  tq  her.  The  language  of  signs,  for  such 
work,  is  very  necessary,  and  every  whaler  compre- 
hends them. 

We  now  came  up,  and  arranged  ourselves  on 
cither  side  of  the  fast-boat,  a  little  ahead,  and  at 
some  distance,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  pull  in  directly 
the  whale  should  re-appear  at  the  surface.  Away 
we  all  went,  every  nerve  strained  to  the  utmost — 
excitement  and  eagerness  on  every  countenance — 
the  water  bubbling  and  hissing  round  the  bows  of 
the  boats,  as  we  clove  our  way  onward. 

"  Hurrah,  boys  !  see.  she  rises  !"  was  the  gene- 
ral shout.  Up  came  the  whale,  more  suddenly  than 
we  expected.  A  general  dash  was  made  at  her  by 
all  the  boats.  "  'Stern,  for  your  lives  ;  'stern  all," 
cried  some  of  the  more  experienced  harpooners. 
"  See,  she's  in  a  flurry." 

First,  the  monster  flapped  the  water  violently 
with  its  fins ;  then  its  tail  was  elevated  aloft,  lash- 
ing the  ocean  around  into  a  mass  of  foam.  This 
was  not  its  death-flurry ;  for,  gaining  strength 
before  any  more  harpoons  or  lances  could  be  struck 
into  it,  away  it  went  again,  heading  towards  the 
ice.  Its  course  was  now  clearly  discerned,  by  a 
small  whirling  eddy,  which  showed  that  it  was  at 
no  great  distance  under  the  surface  ;  while,  in  its 
wake,  was  seen  a  thin  line  of  oil  and  blood,  which 
had  exuded  from  its  wound. 

Wearied,  however,  by  its  exertions,  and  its  for- 
mer deep  dive,  it  was  again  obliged  to  come  to  the 
surface,  to  breathe.  Again  the  eager  boats  dashed 
in,  almost  running  on  its  back ;  and  from  every 
Bide  it  was  plied  with  lances,  while  another  har- 
poon was  dashed  deeply  into  it,  to  make  it  doubly 
lecure.  Our  boat  was  the  most  incautious  ;  for 


236  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

we  were  right  over  the  tail  of  the  whale,  Th« 
chief  harpooner  warned  us — "  Back,  my  lads  ;  back 
of  all,"  he  shouted  out,  his  own  boat  pulling  away. 
"  Now  she's  in  her  death-flurry  truly." 

The  words  were  not  out  of  his  mouth,  when  I 
saw  our  harpooner  leap  from  the  boat,  and  swim, 
as  fast  as  he  could,  towards  one  of  the  others.  I 
was  thinking  of  following  his  example,  knowing  he 
had  good  reasons  for  it ;  for  I  had  seen  the  fins  of 
the  animal  flap  furiously,  and  which  had  warned 
him,  when  a  violent  blow,  which  I  fancied  must 
have  not  only  dashed  the  boat  to  pieces,  but  have 
broken  every  bone  in  our  bodies,  was  struck  on  the 
keel  of  the  boat. 

Up  flew  the  boat  in  the  air,  some  six  or  eight  feet, 
at  least,  with  the  remaining  crew  in  her.  Then, 
down  we  came,  one  flying  on  one  side,  one  on  the 
other,  but  none  of  us  hurt  even,  all  spluttering  and 
striking  out  together  ;  while  the  boat  came  down 
keel  uppermost,  not  much  the  worse  either.  Fortu- 
nately, we  all  got  clear  of  the  furious  blows  the 
monster  continued  dealing  with  its  tail. 

"  Never  saw  a  whale  in  such  a  flurry,"  said  old 
David,  into  whose  boat  I  was  taken.  For  upwards 
of  two  minutes  the  flurry  continued,  we  all  the 
while  looking  on,  and  no  one  daring  to  approach  it ; 
at  the  same  time,  a  spout  of  blood  and  mucus  and 
oil  ascended  into  the  air  from  its  blow-holes,  and 
sprinkled  us  all  over. 

"  Hurra  !  my  lads  ;  she  spouts  blood,"  we  shouted 
out  to  each  other,  though  we  all  saw  and  felt  it 
plain  enough.  There  was  a  last  lash  of  that  tail, 
now  faint,  and  scarce  rising  above  the  water,  but 
which;  a  few  minutes  ago,  would  have  sent  every 
boat  round  it  flying  into  splinters.  Then  all  was 
quiet.  The  mighty  mass,  now  almost  inanimate, 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       237 

turned  slowly  round  upon  its  side  and  then  it  float- 
ed belly-up,  and  dead. 

Our  triumph  was  complete.  Loud  shouts  rent 
the  air.  "  Hurra,  my  lads,  hurra  ;  we've  killed  our 
first  fish  well,"  shouted  the  excited  chief  mate,  who 
had  likewise  had  the  honor  of  being  the  first  to 
strike  the  first  fish.  "  She's  above  eleven  feet  if 
she's  an  inch  (speaking  of  the  length  of  the  longest 
lamina  of  whalebone) ;  she'll  prove  a  good  prize, 
t.hat  she  will."  He  was  right ;  I  believe  that  one 
fish  filled  forty-seven  butts  with  blubber  :  enough, 
in  days  of  yore,  I  have  heard,  to  have  repaid  the 
whole  expence  of  the  voyage. 

Our  ship  was  some  way  to  leeward  ;  and  as  the 
wind  was  light,  she  could  not  work  up  to  us,  so  we 
had  to  tow  the  prize  down  to  her.  Our  first  ope- 
ration was  to  free  it  from  the  lines.  This  was 
done  by  first  lashing  the  tail,  by  means  of  holes  cut 
through  it,  to  the  bows  of  a  boat ;  and  then  two 
boats  swept  round  it,  each  with  the  end  of  a  line, 
the  centre  of  which  was  allowed  to  sink  under  the 
fish.  As  the  lines  hung  down  perpendicularly, 
they  were  thus  brought  up  and  cut  as  close  as  pos- 
sible down  to  the  harpoons,  which  were  left  stick- 
ing in  the  back  of  the  fish.  Meantime  the  men  of 
the  other  boats  were  engaged  in  lashing  the  fins 
together  across  the  belly  of  the  whale.  This  being 
done  we  all  formed  in  line,  towing  the  fish  by  the 
tail ;  and  never  have  I  heard,  or  given,  a  more 
joyous  shout  than  ours,  as  we  pulled  cheerily  away, 
at  the  rate  of  a  mile  an  hour,  towards  the  ship  with 
our  first  fish. 


288  PETER    THE    WHALER, 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

We  secure  our  Fish.— How  to  carve  a  Whale.— A  Greenlar.4 
Shark.— Arctic  Birds.— Making  off.— A  Description  of  a 
South-Sea  Whaler.— A  Bear  in  a  Boat. 

A  COOKERY-BOOK,  in  the  possession  of  my  good 
mother,  advises  one  to  catch  one's  hare  before  cook- 
ing it.  On  the  same  principle  I  deferred  describ- 
ing how  a  whale  is  disposed  of  till  I  had  seen  one 
caught ;  for  I  have  heard  that  it  is  possible  for  a 
ship  to  return  clean,  or  without  having  caught  a 
single  whale  ;  and  this  might  possibly,  I  feared, 
be  our  case.  Every  one  on  board,  from  the  captain 
downwards,  was  now  in  good  spirits. 

We  had  got  a  fish ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  se- 
cure it  carefully  alongside,  lest  it  might  sink  even 
there,  and  be  lost  after  all  our  trouble  ;  such  mis- 
fortunes having  occurred  to  careless  fishers.  The 
first  thing  we  did  was  to  secure  at  the  stern  of  the 
ship,  on  the  larboard  side,  a  tackle,  which  is  called 
4  nose  tackle,  from  its  being  fastened  to  the  nose 
or  head  of  the  fish.  A  tail  tackle  was  secured  to 
the  tail  of  the  fish,  and  this  was  brought  on  board 
at  the  fore-chains.  Thus  the  head  of  the  fish  was  to- 
wards the  stern  of  the  ship,  and  the  tail  towards 
the  bows ;  the  body  being  extended  as  much  as 
possible.  The  right  side  fin,  which  was  next  the 
ship,  (it  being  remembered  that  the  whale  was  on 
its  back,)  was  then  lashed  upwards  towards  the 
gunwale. 

To  "  cant,"  or  "  kent,"  in  nautical  phraseology, 
Is  to  turn  over  or  on  one  side.  The  tackle,  there- 
fore, composed  of  many  turns  of  ropes  and  blocka, 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURE3.        29f 

which  turns  the  whale  over  as  the  blubber  is  cut 
off,  is  called  the  "  kent  purchase"  or  tackle.  One 
part  was  fastened  to  the  neck  of  the  whale,  or 
rather  the  part  of  the  body  next  the  head,  for  a 
whale,  even  in  courtesy,  cannot  be  said  to  have  a 
neck  ;  and  the  other  was  tied  to  the  head  of  the 
mainmast,  the  fall  being  past  round  the  windlass. 
The  neck,  or  rather  the  part  which  would  be  the 
neck,  if  it  had  one,  is  called  the  "  kent." 

From  the  size  of  the  whale,  it  was  impossible  to 
lift  it  more  than  one-fifth  part  out  of  the  water  ; 
and  this  was  only  done  after  heaving  away  at  the 
windlass.  Till  this  operation  was  performed,  not 
one  of  us  had  rested  from  our  labors. 

"  Knock  off,  my  lads,  and  turn  to  to  breakfast," 
sung  out  the  master,  in  a  cheerful  tone.  The  order 
was  obeyed  with  right  good  will ;  and,  perhaps, 
never  did  a  more  hungry  crew  of  fishermen  sit 
down  to  a  more  jovial  meal.  Breakfast  was  soon 
over  ;  and,  strengthened  and  refreshed,  we  pre- 
pared to  turn  to  at  our  task. 

On  going  on  deck  again,  I  found  that  our  booty 
had  attracted  round  us  many  birds  and  fish  of  all 
descriptions,  ready  to  prey  on  what  we  should  leave. 
There  were  fulmars  in  thousands,  eager  to  pounce 
down  upon  the  morsels  which  they  knew  would  be 
their  share.  They  were  of  a  dirty  grey  color,  with 
white  breasts  and  strong  crooked  bills,  formed  to 
tear  flesh  easily,  and  able  to  give  a  very  severe 
bite.  Then  there  were  numbers  of  the  Arctic  gull, 
who  may  be  considered  the  pirate  of  the  icy  re- 
gions, as  he  robs  most  other  birds  not  only  of  their 
prey,  but  of  their  eggs  and  young.  The  sea-swal- 
low, or  great  tern,  however,  like  an  armed  ship  of 
size,  bravely  defends  himself,  and  often  beats  off  his 
antagonist ;  while  the  burgomaster,  a  large  and 
powerful  bird,  may  be  looked  upon  as  a  ship  of  war 


210  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

before  whom  even  the  sea-swallow  flies  away,  or  is 
compelled  to  deliver  up  his  prize.  There  were  a 
few  also  of  the  ivory  gull,  a  beautiful  bird  of  im- 
maculate whiteness.  They  are  so  timid,  that  they 
dare  not  rest  on  the  whale,  but  fly  down,  and  while 
fluttering  over  it,  tear  off  small  bits,  and  are  off 
again,  before  the  dreaded  burgomaster  can  come 
near  them. 

But  now  to  our  prize.  First,  the  harpooners 
secured  to  their  feet  what  we  called  spurs,  that  is 
-pikes  of  iron,  to  prevent  them  from  slipping  off 
•ne  back  of  the  whale,  on  which  they  now  descend- 
ed, I,  with  three  other  youngsters,  were  mean- 
time ordered  to  get  into  two  of  the  boats,  into 
which  were  thrown  the  blubber-knives  and  spades, 
bone-knives,  and  other  instruments  used  in  the 
operation  in  which  they  were  about  to  engage. 

Our  duty  was  to  keep  alongside  the  whale,  to 
hand  tuem  what  they  required,  and  to  pick  any 
one  up  who  should  by  chance  fall  into  the  water. 
The  specRsioneer,  or  chief  harpooner,  took  post  in 
the  centre  of  the  rest  to  direct  them.  The  fat  is, 
as  it  were,  a  casing  on  the  outside  of  the  whale,  so 
that  it  caii  easily  be  got  at.  With  their  blubber- 
knives  the  men  then  cut  it  into  oblong  pieces,  just 
as  a  fish  is  cut  across  at  table ;  and  with  their 
spades  they  lifted  it  from  the  flesh  and  bones,  per- 
forming the  same  work  on  a  larger  scale  than  the 
fish-knife  does.  To  the  end  thus  first  lifted,  a 
strap  and  tackle  is  fastened,  called  the  "  speck- 
tackle,"  by  which  those  on  deck  haul  it  up.  This 
operation  is  called  "  flensing." 

As  the  huge  mass  is  turned  round  and  round  by 
the  kent-tackle,  the  harpooners  continue  cutting 
off  the  slips,  till  the  whole  coat  of  fat  is  removed. 
The  fins  and  tail  are  also  cut  off;  and,  lastly,  the 
whalebone  ia  cut  out  of  the  mouth.  The  whalebone 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      241 

IB  placed  in  two  rows  in  the  mouth,  and  is  used  in- 
stead of  teeth,  to  masticate  the  food,  and  to  catch 
the  minute  animals  floating  in  the  water  on  which 
it  feeds.  Each  side  of  bone  consists  of  upwards 
of  three  hundred  laminae,  the  interior  edges  of 
which  are  covered  with  a  fringe  of  hair.  Ten  or 
twelve  feet  is  the  average  size.  In  young  whales, 
called  "  suckers,"  it  is  only  a  few  inches  long. 
When  it  is  above  six  feet,  the  whale  is  said  to  be 
of  size,  a  term  I  have  before  used. 

The  tongue  of  the  whale  is  very  largo  ;  it  has 
a  beard,  and  a  very  narrow  throat.  While  I  was 
handing  a  blubber-spade  to  old  David,  as  I  looked 
over  the  side  of  the  boat,  I  saw  a  pair  of  bright 
green  eyes  glancing  up  at  me  with  such  a  knowing 
wicked  look,  that  I  drew  back  with  a  shudder, 
thinking  it  was  some  uncommon  monster  of  the 
deep,  who  was  watching  for  an  opportunity  to  carry 
one  of  us  off. 

"  What  is  it  now,  youngster  ?  Have  you  bit 
your  nose  ?"  asked  David,  laughing. 

"  No,"  I  replied,  breathlessly.  "  Look  there — 
what  is  that  ?"  I  pointed  out  the  eyes,  which 
were  still  glaring  up  at  me. 

"  That — why  that,  my  green  lad,  is  only  a  blind 
shark.  Have  not  you  ever  seen  one  of  them 
before?" 

"  Only  a  shark  !"  I  exclaimed  with  horror,  re 
membering  all  I  had  heard  about  sharks.  "  Won't 
be  eat  one  ?" 

"  No,  not  he  ;  but  just  run  a  boat-hook  into  him, 
and  try  and  drive  him  away,  for  he's  drawing  five 
shilling's  worth  of  oil  out  of  the  fish  every  mouth- 
ful he  takes,  the  glutton,"  said  David. 

I  did  as  I  was  desired  ;  but  though  the  point  ran 
right  into   his  body,  he   only   shifted   his  post  a 
little,  and  made  a  fresh  attack  directly  under  the 
21  u 


242  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

stern  of  the  boat.  I  again  wounded  him ;  but  he 
was  either  so  engaged  with  gorging  himself,  or  so 
insensible  to  pain,  that  he  continued  with  his  nose 
against  the  side  of  the  whale,  eating  away  aa 
before. 

I  afterwards  learned  that  this  Greenland  shark 
is  not  really  blind,  though  the  sailors  think  so  be- 
cause it  shows  no  fear  at  the  sight  of  man.  The 
pupil  of  the  eye  is  emerald  green  :  the  rest  of  it  is 
blue,  with  a  white  worm-shaped  substance  on  the 
outside.  This  one  was  upwards  of  ten  feet  in 
length,  and  in  form  like  a  dog-fish.  It  is  a  great 
foe  to  the  whale,  biting  and  annoying  him  even 
when  alive  ;  and  by  means  of  its  peculiarly  shaped 
mouth  and  teeth,  it  can  scoop  out  of  its  body  pieces 
as  large  as  a  man's  head. 

But  the  most  persevering  visitors,  during  the 
operation  of  flensing,  were  the  sailor's  little  friends, 
the  Mollies.  The  moment  the  fish  was  struck,  they 
had  begun  to  assemble,  and  they  were  now  peck- 
ing and  tearing  away  at  the  flesh  with  the  great- 
est impudence,  even  among  the  men's  long  knives. 
One  at  last  got  between  David's  legs,  which  so 
tried  his  patience,  tha.t  he  took  it  up  and  flung  it 
from  him  with  a  hearty  shake,  abusing  it  for  run- 
ning the  risk  of  being  hurt ;  just  as  a  cab-driver 
does  a  child  for  getting  into  the  road,  without  the 
slightest  idea  of  injuring  it.  But  the  Molly  would 
not  take  the  hint,  and  with  the  greatest  coolness 
returned  to  its  repast,  thinking  probably  that  it 
had  as  much  right  to  its  share  as  we  had  to  ours. 

The  Mollies  do  not  evince  an  amiable  disposition 
towards  each  other  ;  and  as  the  "  krang"  (such  ia 
the  name  given  to  the  r:  fuse  parts  of  the  whale)  is 
cut  off,  they  were  to  be  seen  sitting  on  the  water  in 
thousands  tearing  at  the  floating  pieces  ;  and  when 
one  morsel  seemed  more  tempting  than  another, 


HI3    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       243 

driving  their  weaker  brethren  away  from  itt  and 
fighting  over  it,  as  if  the  sea  was  not  covered  with 
other  bits  equally  good.  All  the  time,  the  noise 
they  made  "  poultering"  down  in  the  water  and 
quacking  or  cackling— I  do  not  know  which  to  call 
it — was  most  deafening. 

My  good  friend  Andrew  pointed  them  out  to  me. 
He  never  lost  an  opportunity  of  giving  me  a  useful 
lesson.  "  There,"  he  said,  "  that's  the  way  of  the 
world.  We  are  never  content  with  what  we  have 
got,  but  must  fight  to  gain  something  else.  Now 
take  my  advice.  Peter.  Do  your  duty  as  a  man  ; 
and  when  you  light  upon  a  piece  of  krang  stick  to 
it,  and  be  thankful  that  you've  found  it."  I  have 
never  since  been  in  a  noisy  quarrelsome  crowd,  that 
I  did  not  think  of  the  Mollies  and  the  krang. 

I  must  not  forget  the  green-eyed  monster  which 
had  so  startled  me.  The  surgeon  had  got  a  hook 
ready,  covered  by  a  piece  of  blubber,  and  letting  it 
fall  quietly  over  the  stern  before  its  nose,  the  bait 
was  instantly  gorged.  To  hook  a  fish  of  ten  feet 
long,  and  to  get  him  on  board,  are  two  different 
things  ;  and  our  good  medico  was  very  nearly  drawn 
overboard,  in  a  vain  attempt  to  do  the  latter  with- 
out assistance,  which,  just  then,  all  hands  on  board 
were  too  much  engaged  to  afford.  The  line  was 
very  strong,  or  the  shark  would  have  broken  it,  as 
now  finding  himself  hooked,  he  had  sense  enough 
to  struggle  violently,  in  order  to  get  free. 

I  must  confess,  that  when  I  came  on  deck,  after 
the  krang  had  been  cast  adrift,  I  was  not  sorry  to 
see  my  friend  in  that  condition.  After  some  trouble, 
we  got  the  bight  of  a  rope  over  his  head,  and  another 
round  his  tail,  and  hoisted  him  in  on  deck.  Tf  a  cat 
has  nine  lives,  a  Greenland  shark  may  be  said  to 
have  ninety.  We  cut  him  on  the  head  and  tail  with 
hatchets,  and  knocked  out  any  brains  he  might 


244  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

have  possessed,  and  still  he  would  not  die.  At  last 
the  surgeon  cut  him  up.  and  hours  after,  each  indi- 
vidual piece  seemed  to  have  life  remaining  in  it. 

Sometimes,  when  the  tackles  are  removed,  the 
carcass  of  the  whale  sinks,  and  the  fish  at  the  bot- 
tom are  alone  the  better  for  it ;  but,  at  other  times, 
as  in  this  case,  it  floats,  and  not  only  the  birds  and 
sharks,  but  the  bears,  find  a  hearty  meal  off  it 
This  krang  floated  away ;  and  afterwards,  as  I  shall 
have  presently  to  relate,  was  the  source  of  much 
amusement.  I  ought  to  have  said,  that  while  the 
harpooners  were  flensing  the  whale,  another  divi- 
sion of  the  crew  were  employed  in  receiving  it  on 
deck,  in  pieces  of  half  a  ton  each,  while  others  cut 
it  into  portable  pieces  of  about  a  foot  square  ;  and 
a  third  set  passed  it  down  a  hole  in  the  main  hatches 
to  between  decks,  where  it  was  received  by  two  men, 
styled  kings,  who  stowed  it  away  in  a  receptacle 
called  the  "  flense  gut."  Here  it  remained  till  there 
was  time  for  making  off. 

Having  now  got  our  prize  on  board,  the  owners 
being  probably  £500  richer,  should  we  reach  home 
in  safety,  than  they  were  a  few  hours  before,  we 
set  to  work  to  make  off  the  blubber,  that  is,  to  stow 
it  away  in  the  casks  in  the  hold.  For  this  purpose 
we  ran  out  some  miles  from  the  ice,  in  smooth 
water,  and  hove  to,  with  just  sufficient  sail  set  to 
steady  the  ship.  While  the  skee-man — the  officer 
who  has  charge  of  the  hold — the  cooper,  and  a  few 
others,  were  breaking  out  the  hold,  that  is,  getting 
at  the  ground  or  lowest  tier  of  casks,  we  on  deck 
were  arranging  the  speck-trough,  and  other  appa- 
ratus required  for  preparing  the  blubber. 

The  speck- trough  is  an  oblong  box,  with  a  lid, 
About  twelve  feet  in  length.  The  lid,  when  thrown 
Oack,  forms  a  chopping  table ;  and  it  is  covered 
with  bfts  of  whale's  tail  from  end  to  end.  which  be 


HIS    t\RLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       2i5 

ing  elastic,  though  hard,  prevents  the  knives  being 
blunted.  In  the  middle  of  the  trough  is  a  square 
hole,  which  is  placed  over  the  hatchway  ;  and  to  the 
hole  is  attached  a  hose  or  pipe  of  canvass,  leading 
into  the  hold  and  moveable,  so  as  to  be  placed  over 
the  bungs  of  each  cask.  A  pair  of  nippers  em- 
brace it,  so  as  to  stop  the  blubber  from  running 
down  when  no  cask  is  under. 

The  krang  is  the  refuse,  as  I  have  said,  and  the 
men  who  separate  the  oily  part  from  it  are  called 
"  krangers."  The  "  kings  "  throw  the  blubber  in 
rough  out  of  the  "flense  gut"  to  the  "krangers" 
on  deck ;  from  them  it  is  passed  to  the  harpooners, 
who  are  the  skinners.  After  the  skin  has  been 
sliced  off,  it  is  placed  on  the  chopping-block,  before 
which  stand  in  a  row  the  boat-steerers,  who,  with 
their  long  knives,  cut  it  up  into  obloag  pieces,  not 
larger  than  four  inches  in  diameter,  and  then  push 
it  into  the  "  speck-trough." 

The  line-managers  are  stationed  in  the  hold,  and 

fuide  the  tube  or  lull  to  the  casks  they  desire  to 
11.  Finally,  when  no  more  can  fall  in,  piece  after 
piece  is  jambed  in  by  a  pricker,  and  the  cask  is 
bunged  up.  Sometimes,  not  only  are  all  the  casks 
on  board  filled,  but  the  blubber  is  stowed  away  in 
bulk  in  the  hold,  and  even  between  decks ;  but  this 
good  fortune  does  not  often  occur. 

It  will  be  seen  by  any  one  who  has  read  an  ac- 
count, that  the  process  of  preparing  the  cargo  by 
the  whalers  in  the  southern  seas  is  very  different. 
Andrew  Thompson  had  once  been  in  a  South-sea 
whaler,  and  he  told  me  he  never  wished  to  go  in 
another  ;  for  a  wilder,  more  mutinous  set  of  fellows 
it  was  never  his  ill-luck,  before  or  since,  to  meet. 
This  was  of  course,  owing  partly  to  the  captain, 
who  was  a  rough,  uncultivated  savage,  and  totally 
unfit  to  gain  any  moral  restraint  over  his  men. 
u*' 


S46  PETER    THE    WH    LER, 

t(  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  Peter,"  said  Andrew,  as 
I  sat  by  him  in  the  forecastle  that  evening,  listen- 
ing to  his  yarns ;  "  till  the  masters  are  properly 
educated,  and  know  how  to  behave  like  officers  and 
gentlemen,  the  men  will  be  mutinous  and  ill-con- 
ducted. When  I  say,  like  gentlemen,  I  don't  mean 
that  they  should  eat  with  silver  forks  off  china, 
drink  claret,  and  use  white  pocket-handkerchiefs. 
Those  things  don't  make  the  gentleman  afloat,  more 
than  on  shore.  But  what  I  like  to  see,  is,  a  man 
who  treats  his  crew  with  proper  gentleness — who 
looks  after  their  interest  in  this  world  and  the  next, 
and  tries  to  improve  them  to  the  best  of  his  power 
— who  acts,  indeed,  as  a  true  Christian  will  act — 
that  man  is,  I  say,  a  gentleman.  I  say,  put  him 
where  you  will — ask  him  to  do  what  you  will — he 
will  look  and  act  like  a  gentleman.  Who  would  dare 
to  say,  that  our  good  captain  is  not  one  ?  He  looks 
like  one,  and  acts  like  one,  at  all  times  and  occa- 
sions ;  and  if  we  had  more  like  him  in  the  merchant- 
service,  generally,  we  should  have  soon  an  improve- 
ment in  the  condition  of  our  seamen. 

"  But  I  have  got  adrift  from  what  I  was  going  to 
tell  you  about  the  South-sea  whalers.  You  see,  the 
whales  ;n  those  seas  are,  generally,  sperm  whales, 
with  blnnt,  bottle-noses,  altogether  unlike  the  fish 
about  here.  There  is  not  much  difference  in  the 
way  of  killing  them,  except  that  one  has  not  to  go 
among  the  ice  for  them,  in  the  way  we  have  here, 
as  they  are  met  with  in  '  schools,'  in  the  open  sea. 
What  we  call  *  making-off,'  is  there  called  '  trying- 
out.' 

"  You  see,  on  account  of  the  hot  climates  they 
have  fo  come  through  to  return  home,  and  partly 
from  the  value  of  the  blubber,  they  have  to  boil  it, 
to  get  out  the  oil ;  and,  for  this  object,  they  have  to 
build  large  stoves,  or  fire-places,  vith  brick,  on 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES. 

deck,  between  the  foremast  and  main-hatchway ; 
and  above  them  are  three  or  four  large  pots.  The 
blubber  is  then,  you  see,  minced  up,  and  pitched 
into  the  pots  with  long  forks.  Just  fancy  what  a 
curious  scene  there  must  be  while  the  trying-out  is 
going  on  at  night — the  red  glare  of  the  fires,  and 
the  thick  lurid  smoke,  ascending  in  dense  columns 
round  the  masts.  Any  one,  not  knowing  what  was 
going  forward,  would  think,  to  a  certainty,  the  ship 
was  on  fire  j  and  then,  the  stench  of  the  boiling  oil, 
nissing  and  bubbling  in  the  pots — the  suffocating 
feel  of  the  smoke — the  fierce-looking,  greasy,  un- 
washed men — I  say,  those  who  have  been  in  a 
South-sea  whaler  will  never  wish  to  go  again." 

I  told  him,  that  I  had  no  wish,  after  his  descrip- 
ion,  ever  to  belong  to  one  ;  though  I  liked  the  life, 
S3  far  as  I  had  seen  of  it,  where  I  was. 

"  I  have  not  a  word  to  say  against  it,  mate,"  re- 
plied Andrew.  "  But  wait  a  bit,  till  we  come  to 
boring  and  cutting  through  the  ice,  in  case  we  are 
beset,  and  then  you'll  say  that  there  is  something 
like  hard  work  to  be  done." 

It  took  us  two  hours  to  kill  our  first  whale,  and 
four  to  flense  it.  We  afterwards  performed  the 
last  operation  in  less  time,  when  all  hands  were 
more  expert. 

The  next  morning  we  again  stood  in  towards  the 
ice,  to  see  if  there  was  any  opening,  through  which 
we  might  force  the  ship ;  but  none  appeared. 
What  was  curious,  we  hit  the  spot  to  which  the 
krang  of  the  fish  we  had  killed  the  day  before  had 
floated.  We  saw  something  moving  on  the  ice,  as 
we  approached,  besides  the  clouds  of  wild  fowl  which 
hovered  over  it,  and  on  the  sea  around. 

We  pointed  it  out  to  the  second  mate.  He  took 
bis  glass,  and,  putting  it  to  his  eye,  exclaimed, 
"  There's  a  big  white  bear  has  just  been  breakfast 


1248  PETER    THE    WHALE*, 

ing,  and  has  hauled  up  some  of  the  krang  on  the  ks, 
to  serve  him  for  dinner  ;  but  we'll  try  what  we  cari 
do  to  spoil  his  sport." 

In  accordance  with  this  resolution,  he  went  to 
the  captain,  and  asked  leave  to  take  a  boat,  to  try 
and  bring  back  Bruin,  dead  or  alive. 

"  You  may  bring  him  back  dead  ;  but  alive  you'll 
never  get  him  into  that  boat,  depend  on  it,"  an- 
swered Captain  Kendall,  laughing.  "  However, 
take  care  he  is  not  too  much  for  you  ;  for  those 
bears  are  cunning  fellows,  remember  ;  and  I  should 
advise  you  to  take  a  couple  of  muskets,  and  some 
tough  lances." 

"  Never  fear,  sir,"  answered  the  mate,  preparing 
to  lower  a  boat.  "  I  don't  think  a  boat's  crew  need, 
any  day,  be  afraid  of  a  single  bear." 

Volunteers  being  asked  for,  Terence  and  I,  old 
David  and  Stokes,  and  three  others,  jumped  into 
the  boat,  and  pulled  off  towards  where  the  bear  was 
seated,  quietly  licking  his  paws  after  his  meal.  The 
mate  had  a  great  idea  of  noosing  him  ;  and,  for  this 
purpose,  he  and  David  were  each  armed  with  a  coil 
of  rope,  with  a  bight,  to  throw  over  his  head,  like 
a  lasso ;  while  Terence  and  I  were  to  take  charge 
of  the  guns.  The  mate  first  made  us  put  him  on 
the  ice,  some  few  hundred  yards  on  one  side  of  the 
bear ;  and  then  we  pulled  round  to  the  same  dis- 
tance on  the  other.  Each  had  a  lance  besides  his 
lasso,  and  the  mate  had  a  pistol  in  his  breast. 

In  case  of  extreme  necessity,  Terence  and  I  were 
to  fire,  and  then  to  land,  and  come  to  their  rescue. 
As  soon  as  the  two  landed,  they  began  to  move 
away  from  the  edge,  hoping  thereby  to  cut  Bruin 
off,  should  he  attempt  to  escape.  He  had,  how 
ever,  no  inclination  to  leave  his  dinner  ;  though, 
perhaps,  had  he  not  already  eaten  to  repletion,  he 
would  not  have  sat  so  quiet  while  we  approached. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       249 

We,  meantime,  pulled  close  up  to  the  krang, 
among  all  the  ducks  and  gulls.  This  Bruin 
did  not  mind ;  but  sat  still,  looking  quietly  on. 
Of  course,  I  could  then  easily  have  shot  him  ;  but 
that  was  not  the  mate's  object.  All  he  did  was  to 
growl,  and  show  his  teeth,  as  if  he  longed  to  have 
us  all  within  his  paws.  This  made  us  bolder  and 
less  cautious,  so  we  got  close  up  to  him. 

"  We  are  still  too  far  for  me  to  heave  the  bight 
over  his  shoulders,"  cried  Terence.  "  Just  see  if 
you  can't  get  hold  of  his  dinner  with  the  boat-hook, 
and  that  will  bring  him  nearer." 

I  luckily  held  my  gun  in  my  left  hand,  while, 
with  my  right,  as  I  sprang  on  the  ice,  I  attempted 
to  catch  hold  of  the  whale's  flesh  with  the  boat- 
hook.  This  was  too  much  for  the  equanimity  even 
of  Bruin ;  and,  with  a  loud  growl,  he  sprang  to- 
wards the  boat,  happily  thinking  me  too  insignifi- 
cant for  punishment.  I  immediately  ran  off  to- 
wards the  mate  ;  while  so  great  was  the  impetus 
which  the  bear  had  gained,  that  he  went  head-fore- 
most into  the  water,  just  catching  the  gunwale  of 
the  boat,  as  the  men  in  her  tried  to  shove  off,  to 
avoid  him. 

Terence  seized  his  musket,  but  it  missed  fire  ; 
and,  before  either  of  the  others  could  get  their 
lances  ready,  Bruin  had  actually  scrambled  on 
board.  No  one  can  be  surprised  at  their  fright ; 
nor,  that,  as  the  bear  came  in  on  one  side,  they  should 
jump  out  on  the  other.  They  were  all  good  swim- 
mers ;  so  they  struck  out  for  the  ice,  on  to  which 
the  mate  and  I  hauled  them,  while  Bruin  floated 
away  in  our  boat. 

We  thought  he  would  have  jumped  out  again, 
and  attacked  us  ;  but  he  seemed  perfectly  content 
with  his  victory,  and  inclined  for  a  cruise,  as  he 
iat,  with  the  greatest  composure,  examii.ing  the 


250  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

different  articles  in  the  boat.  How  long  he  might 
have  sat  there  I  do  not  know,  had  not  the  mate  or- 
dered me  to  try  my  skill  as  a  shot.  It  was  a  long 
time  since  I  had  had  a  gun  in  my  hand,  and  my 
ambition  was  roused.  I  took  a  steady  aim  at  poor 
Bruin's  eye,  and  he  sunk  down  in  the  bottom  of 
the  boat. 

The  whole  occurrence  had  been  seen  from  the 
ship  by  our  captain,  who  despatched  a  boat  to  oui 
assistance.  We  stood,  meantime,  looking  verj 
foolish,  on  the  ice  ;  and  those  who  had  been  in  the 
water  shivering  not  a  little  with  the  cold.  After 
the  other  boat  had  taken  us  on  board,  we  pulled 
towards  ours,  with  the  bear  in  it.  We  half  ex- 
pected to  see  him  jump  up,  and,  seizing  the  oars, 
pull  away  from  us.  Terence  declared,  that  he 
knew  a  man,  who  said  that  such  a  thing  had  once 
nappened,  and  that  the  bear,  after  a  chase  of  many 
miles,  got  clean  off  with  the  boat ;  and  that,  next 
year  about  the  same  latitude,  he  was  seen  cruising 
about  by  himself,  fishing  for  seals. 

However,  we  got  cautiously  up  to  our  boat ;  and 
there  lay  Bruin,  breathing  out  his  last.  By  the 
time  we  got  alongside,  he  was  quite  dead.  We  all, 
especially  the  mate,  got  well  laughed  at,  for  having 
had  our  boat  captured  by  a  bear. 

"And  so,  Mr.  Derrick,"  said  the  captain,  "a 
boat's  crew  can,  possibly,  be  beaten  by  a  bear,  I 
see." 

"  They  can,  sir,"  answered  the  mate  ;  "  I  own 
it ;  but  if  you'll  remember,  you  said,  I  should  never 
get  that  tear  into  the  boat,  alive  or  dead,  and  I've 
done  both." 

"  Not  that,"  replied  the  captain.  "  He  got  him- 
self in,  and  he  got  you  out ;  so  I  don't  see  that 
you've  fulfilled  your  promise." 

However,  Bruin  was  hoisted  on  board  ;  and  th« 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       251 

mate  secured  his  skin,  which  was  what  he  wanted 
Of  course,  the  adventure  caused  much  joking  af- 
terwards ;  and  the  boat  was  ever  afterwards  called 
*  the  bear's  boat." 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

Joined  by  other  Ships. — Land  seen. — Cape  Flyaway. — Danish 
Colonies. — Visited  by  Esquimaux. — We  land. — Begin  to  strug- 
gle with  the  Ice. — Fishing  on  the  Ice. — Tumble  in. — Made 
fast  to  an  Iceberg. — Cut  through  a  Field  of  Ice. — Preparations 
for  a  Nip.— The  Nip  comes. 

FOR  several  days,  during  which  we  captured  an- 
other whale,  we  were  cruising  about,  in  the  hopes 
of  finding  a  passage  through  the  ice.  We  were 
now  joined  by  a  squadron  of  six  other  ships,  all 
bent  on  the  same  object  that  we  were,  to  find  our 
way  across  Baffin's  Bay  to  a  spot  called  Pond's 
Bay,  which  has  been  found,  of  late  years,  to  be  fre- 
quented by  a  large  number  of  whales. 

I  have  before  forgot  to  mention  the  great  length 
of  the  days  ;  indeed  for  some  time  past,  there  had 
scarcely  been  any  night.  Now,  for  the  first  time 
in  my  life,  I  saw  the  sun  set  and  rise  at  midnight. 
It  was  my  first  watch  5  and  as  eight  bells  were 
struck,  the  sun,  floating  majestically  on  the  horizon, 
began  again  its  upward  course  through  the  sky. 
On  the  other  side  the  whole  sky  was  tinged  with  a 
rich  pink  glow,  while  the  sky  above  was  of  a  deep 
clear  blue.  I  could  scarcely  tear  myself  from  the 
spectacle,  till  old  David  laughed  heartily  at  me, 
for  remaining  on  deck  when  it  was  my  watch  be- 
low. Now  was  the  time  to  push  onwari,  if  we 
could  once  penetrate  the  ice.  We  had  worked  our 


252  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

way  to  the  east,  in  the  hopes  of  there  finding  a 
passage. 

"  Land  on  the  starboard  bow  !"  shouted  the  second 
mate  from  the  crow's-nest.  Still  on  we  sailed,  till 
we  saw  it  clearly  from  the  deck.  Lofty  black  rocks 
were  peeping  out  from  amid  snow-capped  heights, 
and  eternal  glaciers  glittering  in  the  sun-beams. 
In  the  foreground  were  icebergs  tinged  with  many 
varied  hues.  Deep  valleys  appeared  running  up 
far  inland  ;  and  above  all,  in  the  distance,  were  a 
succession  of  towering  mountain  ranges,  reaching 
to  the  sky.  Still  on  we  sailed. 

"  Well,  lad,  how  long  do  you  think  it  would  take 
you  to  pull  on  shore  now  ?"  asked  old  David. 

11  Better  than  half  an  hour,  in  a  whale-boat,  with 
a  good  crew,"  I  answered,  thinking  the  distance 
was  about  four  or  five  miles. 

The  old  whaler  chuckled,  in  the  way  he  always 
did  when  he  had  got,  what  he  called,  the  weather- 
gauge  of  me. 

"  Now  I  tell  you  it  would  take  you  three  good 
hours,  with  the  best  crew  that  ever  laid  hand  on 
oar,  and  the  fastest  boat,  too,  to  get  from  this  ship 
to  that  shore,"  he  said.  "  It's  near  upon  thirty 
miles  off,  if  it's  a  mile." 

"  Come  now,  David,  you  are  passing  your  jokes 
off  on  a  green-horn,"  I  replied.  "  Why,  if  the  wa- 
ter was  not  cold  ;  I  don't  think  I  should  find  much 
difficulty  in  swimming  there,  when  we  get  a  little 
closer  in." 

This  answer  produced  a  fresh  succession  of 
chuckles.  Still  on  we  sailed  ;  and  I  confess,  that 
at  the  end  of  an  hour  we  appeared  no  nearer  than 
before. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it  now  1"  asked 
old  David. 

"  Why,  that   there  must   be  a  strong  current 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      253 

against  us,  setting  off  shore,"  I  answered,  wishing 
to  *>how  ray  knowledge. 

He  replied  that  there  was  no  current,  and  that  1 
was  wrong.  Another  half  hour  passed,  and  still 
we  did  not  seem  to  have  gained  ground. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  our  being  off  Cape  Fly- 
away, youngster  ?"  asked  David,  pretending  to  be 
alarmed.  "  Did  you  never  hear  speak  of  that  ?  The 
longer  you  sail  after  it  the  further  off  it  goes,  till 
it  takes  you  right  round  the  world  ?  If  that's  it, 
and  I  don't  say  it  isn't,  it  will  be  long  enough  be- 
fore we  get  back  to  old  England  again."  Having 
thus  delivered  himself  he  walked  away,  to  avoid 
being  questioned. 

Tom  Stokes,  who  was  near  me,  and,  as  I  have 
said,  was  very  fond  of  reading,  heard  his  remark. 

"  Do  you  know,  Peter,  I  am  not  certain  that  what 
David  says  is  altogether  wrong ;"  he  remarked  in 
a  mysterious  manner.  "  I  have  just  been  reading 
in  a  book  an  account  of  a  voyage  made  many  cen- 
turies ago,  by  a  Danish  Captain  to  those  seas.  His 
name  was  Rink,  but  I  forget  the  name  of  his  ship. 
His  crew  consisted  of  eighty  stout  brave  fellows ; 
but  when  they  got  up  here,  some  of  the  bravest 
were  frightened  with  the  wonders  they  beheld  ;  the 
monsters  of  the  deep,  the  fogs,  the  snows,  and  the 
mountains  of  ice  ;  and  at  last  they  saw,  at  no  great 
distance,  a  high  picturesque  land  on  which  they 
wished  to  land  :  but  though  they  sailed  rapidly  on, 
or  appeared  to  sail,  they  got  no  nearer  to  it.  This 
increased  the  alarm  they  already  felt.  One  half 
of  the  crew  were  of  opinion  that  the  land  itself 
moved  away  from  them  ;  the  others  that  there  were 
Borne  powerful  loadstone  rocks  somewhere  astern, 
which  kept  the  ship  back.  At  last  Captain  Rink 
finding  a  northerly  breeze  spring  up,  and  being 
aomewha*;  short  of  provisions,  put  up  the  helm  and 


254  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

ran  home,  every  one  on  board  giving  a  different  ac« 
count  of  the  wonders  they  had  seen,  but  all  agree- 
ing that  it  was  a  region  of  ice-demons  and  snow- 
spirits,  and  that  they  would  never,  if  they  could 
help  it,  venture  there  again." 

For  some  hours  we  continued  much  of  Captafn 
Rink's  opinion,  till  at  last  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
asking  Andrew  what  he  thought  about  the  matter 
He  then  told  me,  that  on  account  of  the  clearnesa 
of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  brightness  of  the  snow- 
covered  hills,  or  icy  plains,  they  appear  to  a  person 
unaccustomed  to  look  on  them,  to  be  very  much 
nearer  than  they  really  are.  He  assured  me  that  it 
would  be  a  long  time  before  I  should  be  able  to 
judge  of  distances,  and  that  he  had  known  a  person 
mistake  a  few  stunted  shrubs  appearing  above  the 
snow  a  few  yards  off,  for  a  forest  in  the  distance, 
while  land  many  miles  off  appeared,  as  it  had  to  me, 
close  at  hand. 

It  was  evening,  or  I  should  rather  say  near  mid- 
night, when  we  really  got  close  in,  when  we  found 
that  the  valleys  were  magnificent  fiords,  or  gulfs 
running  far  inland,  and  that  the  rocks  and  icebergs 
were  of  vast  height.  As  we  sailed  along  the  coast, 
nothing  could  be  more  beautiful  than  the  different 
effects  of  light  and  shade  ;  the  summits  of  the  dis- 
tant inland  ranges,  shining  in  the  sun-light,  like 
masses  of  gold,  and  the  icebergs  in  the  fore-ground 
tinged  with  the  most  beautiful  and  dazzling  colors. 

Beautiful  as  was  the  scene,  I  had  no  idea  that 
any  civilised  beings  dwelt  in  such  a  region  of  eter- 
nal snows.  What  was  my  surprise  then,  to  find 
the  ship  brought  to  an  anchor  off  a  small  town  called 
Leifly,  belonging  to  the  Danes.  They  have  seve- 
ral small  colonies  along  the  coast,  at  each  of  which 
are  stationed  Missionaries  engaged  in  the  pioua 
work  of  converting  the  Esquimaux  to  Christianity, 


BIS    EARLY    LIFE    AWD    ADVENTURES.        255 

I  thought  that  where  we  lay  at  anchor  was  di- 
rectly under  the  overhanging  cliffs  ;  but  I  found 
from  the  time  the  boat  took  reaching  the  shore 
that  we  were  several  miles  off.  Several  Esqui- 
maux canoes  came  off  to  the  ship  to  barter  with  us. 
One  man  sits  in  each  boat,  which  is  so  long  and 
narrow,  that  one  is  surprised  it  should  be  able  to 
encounter  the  slightest  sea.  The  whole  is  decked 
over,  except  a  round  opening,  in  which  they  seat 
themselves. 

All  these  people  were  Christians,  and  in  each 
canoe  was  a  strip  of  paper  stuck  in  a  thong  un- 
der the  deck,  on  which  were  written,  in  Danish, 
passages  from  the  Scriptures.  They  were  com- 
fortably dressed  in  seal-skin  coats,  trowsers,  and 
boots,  with  a  seal-skin  helmet.  Their  heads  were 
large,  with  a  narrow,  retreating  forehead  ;  strong, 
coarse  black  hair,  flat  nose,  full  lips,  almost  beard- 
less chin,  and  full  lustrous  black  eyes  ;  not  beauties, 
certainly,  but  the  expression  was  very  amiable, 
and  so  was  their  conduct. 

We  had  to  lower  a  boat  to  assist  them  on  deck 
when  they  came  alongside,  for  otherwise  they  would 
not  have  been  able  to  get  out  of  their  crank  barks 
without  capsizing.  The  way  they  manage  is  as 
follows : — Two  canoes  bring  up  alongside  each 
other,  the  man  in  the  outer  one  passing  iiis  paddle 
through  a  thong  which  stretches  across  the  deck 
of  the  inner  one,  which  it  thus  steadies  till  the 
owner  can  get  out.  The  inner  canoe  is  then  hauled 
out  of  the  way,  and  another  pulls  up  on  the  outside. 
The  last  canoe  is  held  by  the  gunwale  till  the  occu- 
pant steps  out.  They  all  appeared  ready  to  render 
each  other  this  assistance.  The  canoe  is  called  a 
"  kajack." 

The  kajacks  being  hauled  on  deck,  we  began  our 
barter.  We  had  to  give  old  clothes,  red  and  jello* 


256  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

cotton  handkerchiefs,  biscuits,  coffee,  earthenwara 
bowls,  needles,  and  many  other  little  things  ;  for 
which  they  exchanged  seal-skins,  seal-skin  trow- 
eers,  caps,  slippers,  gloves,  and  tobacco-bags.  These 
articles  were  very  neatly  sewed  with  sinew  thread. 
Our  negociations  being  completed  in  the  most  ami- 
cable manner,  they  took  their  departure  much  in 
the  way  in  which  they  had  arrived. 

I  afterwards  went  ashore  in  the  boat,  and  saw 
their  huts,  which  were  better,  I  am  ashamed  to  say, 
than  many  I  had  seen  in  Ireland.  Many  of  them 
were  nearly  built  of  the  bones  of  the  whale,  which 
had  an  odd  appearance.  There  were  heaps  of  filth 
in  front,  and  troops  of  ill-favored  dogs  were  prowl- 
ing^ round  them. 

I  saw  some  of  their  women,  the  elder  ones  being 
the  most  hideous-looking  of  the  human  race  I  ever 
beheld.  They  wore  their  hair  gathered  in  a  large 
knot  at  the  top  of  the  head  ;  but  in  other  respects 
they  were  dressed  exactly  like  the  men,  in  seal- 
skin garments.  Whatever  business  took  us  there 
was  soon  completed  ;  and  once  more  in  company 
with  several  other  ships,  we  commenced  our  strug- 
gle with  the  ice-monsters  of  the  deep.  Our  course 
was  still  northerly,  as  what  is  called  the  "  middle 
ice"  fills  up  the  centre  of  the  bay  in  impenetrable 
masses  ;  and  it  is  only  by  working  round  it  to  the 
north,  where  it  has  drifted  away  from  the  coast, 
that  a  passage  to  the  west  side  can  be  eifected. 

Soon  after  sailing,  we  were  frozen  into  a  sheet 
of  bay  ice  for  some  days.  It  was  slight,  and  in 
many  places  could  scarcely  bear  the  weight  of  a 
man.  Indeed,  there  were  in  every  direction  pools 
of  water,  which  for  some  reason  or  other  did  not 
freeze.  Our  captain  had  been  for  some  time  in  the 
crow's-nest,  looking  out  for  a  sign  of  the  breaking 
up  of  the  ice,  when  he  observed  several  whaios  ria 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       251 

ing  in  the  pools.  He  instantly  ordered  the  smaller 
boats  to  be  lowered,  and  worked  through  and  over 
the  ice  to  the  pools,  with  harpooners  ready  to  strike 
any  whale  which  might  rise  in  them.  Meantime 
he  armed  himself  with  a  harpoon,  and  ordered 
others  to  follow  with  lances,  each  with  ice-shoes  on 
his  feet. 

The  first  man  carried  the  end  of  a  line,  and  the 
rest  laid  hold  of  it  at  intervals,  so  that  should  any 
fall  in,  they  might  be  able  to  draw  themselves  out 
again.  We  had  not  long  to  wait  before  a  whale  was 
struck,  and  out  flew  the  line  from  the  boat.  So  thin 
was  the  ice,  that  we  could  see  the  monster  through 
it,  as  he  swam  along  close  under  it.  Away  he  went, 
but  losing  breath  he  knocked  a  hole  in  the  ice  with 
his  head,  to  get  some  fresh  air.  We  followed ;  but 
at  first  he  was  too  quick  for  us,  and  had  dived  again 
before  we  came  up  with  him. 

We  had  to  look  out  to  avoid  the  place  he  had  brok- 
en, as  we  made  chase  after  him.  Our  captain  took 
the  lead  without  a  rope,  going  at  a  great  rate  in 
his  snow  shoes.  He  saw  the  whale  close  under 
him,  and  had  just  got  his  harpoon  ready  to  strike 
through  the  ice,  when  up  came  the  fish  under  the 
very  spot  where  he  stood,  and  we  saw  him  skip  off 
in  a  tremendous  hurry,  or  he,  to  a  certainty,  would 
have  gone  in  ;  and,  perhaps,  have  been  drawn  down 
when  the  whale  started  off  again. 

Instead  of  this,  he  boldly  went  to  the  very  edge 
of  the  ice,  and  while  the  whale  was  blowing,  he 
darted  his  harpoon  deep  into  his  neck.  The  whale 
continued  his  course,  but  so  much  slower  than  be- 
fore, that  we  got  up  to  him,  and  striking  our  lances 
through  the  ice  whenever  he  touched  it,  we  soon 
dispatched  him.  As  he  had  no  means  of  breath- 
ing under  the  ice,  he  died  quietly,  and  was  dragged 
up  by  the  line  of  the  first  harpoon  which  struck 
v«  22 


258  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

him  ;  and  by  breaking  the  ice,  so  as  to  let  the  line 
pass,  he  was  hauled  up  to  the  ship. 

Scarcely  was  the  first  secured  than  a  second  one 
was  struck  :  and  away  we  went  after  him,  hallooing 
shouting,  and  laughing.  The  first  man  was  a  littie 
fellow,  though,  I  believe,  he  cracked  the  ice  ;  at  all 
events,  we  had  not  gone  a  hundred  yards  when  in 
fell  three  men,  one  after  the  other  ;  but  they  did 
not  mind,  and  by  means  of  the  rope,  they  were  soon 
out  again,  and  in  chase  of  our  prey. 

Poor  Stokes  got  in  twice,  and  I  once,  to  the 
great  amusement  of  the  rest ;  however,  very  few 
escaped  without  a  wetting,  so  that  the  laugh  was 
not  entirely  against  us.  We  succeeded  in  killing 
the  fish,  and  I  do  not  know  whether  it  was  not  as 
exciting  as  chasing  him  in  the  water  ;  at  all  events, 
there  was  more  fun  and  novelty,  and  that  is  what 
a  sailor  likes. 

A  fair  breeze  at  length  sprung  up,  which  bring- 
ing warmer  weather,  and  enabling  us  to  spread  our 
canvass  with  effect,  we  cut  away  the  ice  round  the 
ship,  and  then  she,  with  her  strong  bows,  forced  a 
passage  through  it.  While  the  wind  lasted,  with 
every  yard  of  canvass  alow  and  aloft  the  ship 
could  carry,  we  pressed  our  onward  way — some- 
times among  floes,  threatening  every  instant  to 
close  in  and  nip  us  ;  at  other  times  with  drift  and 
brash-ice  surrounding  us  ;  and  at  others  amid  open 
ice,  with  here  and  there  floating  icebergs  appear- 
ing near  us. 

To  one  of  these  we  had  to  moor,  on  account  of  a 
shift  of  wind,  which  blew  strong  in  our  teeth  ;  and 
at  first,  when  I  turned  into  my  berth,  I  did  nek 
sleep  as  securely  as  usual,  from  remembering  An- 
drew's account  of  one  toppling  over  and  crushing  a 
ship  beneath  it.  However,  I  need  scarcely  say, 
that  that  feeling  very  soon  wore  off.  The  objects 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTti&ES.       25$ 

gained  by  mooring  to  an  iceberg  are  several : — in 
the  first  place,  from  so  large  a  proportion  of  the 
mass  being  below  the  -water,  the  wind  has  little 
effect  on  it ;  and,  therefore,  the  ship  loses  no  ground 
— then  it  shields  her  from  the  drift  ice  as  it  passes 
by,  and  she  has  also  smooth  water  under  its  lee. 
Casting  off  from  the  iceberg,  as  did  our  consorts, 
from  those  to  which  they  had  been  moored,  when 
the  wind  again  became  favorable,  we  continued  our 
course. 

We  were  now  approaching  the  most  dangerous 
part  of  our  voyage,  the  passage  across  Melville 
Bay,  which  may  be  considered  the  north-eastern 
corner  of  Baffin's  Bay.  Ships  may  be  sailing  among 
open  ice,  when  a  south-westerly  wind  springing  up, 
it  may  suddenly  be  pressed  down  upon  them  with 
irresistible  force,  and  they  may  be  nipped  or  totally 
destroyed. 

All  this  I  learned  from  old  David,  who  was  once 
here  when  upwards  of  twelve  ships  were  lost  in  sight 
of  each  other,  though  the  crews  escaped  by  leaping 
on  the  ice. 

"Remember,  youngster,  such  may  be  our  fate, 
one  of  these  days  ;  and  we  shall  be  fortunate,  if  we 
have  another  ship  at  hand  to  take  us  on  board,"  he 
remarked. 

I  never  knew  whether  he  uttered  this,  not  over- 
consolitary  observation,  for  my  benefit,  to  remind 
me  how,  at  any  moment,  the  lives  of  us  all  might 
be  brought  to  an  end,  or  to  amuse  himself  by  watch- 
ing their  effect  upon  me. 

For  a  week  we  threaded  our  way  among  the  open 
floes,  when  a  solid  field  seemed  to  stop  our  further 
progress.  This  had  been  seen  hours  before,  from 
the  unbroken  ice-blink  playing  over  it.  Our  cap- 
tain was  in  the  crow's-nest,  looking  out  for  a  lane, 
through  which  the  ship  might  pass,  till  clear  watei 


26  PETER    THE     WHALER, 

was  gained.  After  waiting,  and  sailing  along  the 
edge  of  the  field  for  some  time,  some  clear  water 
was  discovered,  at  the  distance  of  three  or  four 
miles,  and  to  it  our  captain  determined  that  WP 
should  cut  our  way.  The  ice-saws  were,  accordingly, 
ordered  to  be  got  ready,  with  a  party  to  work  them, 
on  the  ice.  I  was  one  of  them ;  and,  while  we  cut 
the  canal,  the  ship  was  warped  up,  ready  to  enter 
the  space  we  formed. 

The  ice-saw  is  a  very  long  iron  saw,  and  has  a 
weight  attached  to  the  lower  end.  A  triangle  of 
spars  is  formed,  with  a  block  in  the  centre,  through 
which  a  rope,  attached  to  the  upper  part  of  the  saw, 
is  rove.  The  slack  end  of  the  rope  is  held  by  a 
party  of  men.  When  they  run  away  from  the  tri- 
angle, the  saw  rises  ;  and,  when  they  slack  the  rope, 
the  weight  draws  it  down ;  as  the  sawyer  in  a  saw- 
pit  would  do.  As  the  saw  performs  its  work,  the 
triangles  are  moved  from  the  edge  of  the  ice.  As 
the  pieces  were  cut,  they  were  towed  away,  and 
shoved  along  to  the  mouth  of  the  canal. 

All  the  time  we  were  at  work,  some  of  the  men, 
with  good  voices,  led  a  song,  in  the  chorus  of  which 
we  all  joined ;  and,  I  must  say,  we  worked  away 
with  a  will.  It  was  harder  work  when  we  had  to 
haul  out  the  bits  of  ice,  the  ship  being  towed  into 
the  canal.  With  a  cheerful  shout  we  completed 
our  canal,  and  got  the  ships  into  a  natural  lane ; 
and  the  rest  following  close  upon  our  track,  we 
worked  our  way  along,  for  many  miles,  by  what  is 
called  tracking. 

This  operation  is  very  similar  to  the  way  a  canal- 
boat  is  dragged  along  a  canal,  through  the  green 
fields  of  England  ;  only,  that  men  have,  in  the  case 
I  am  describing,  to  do  the  work  of  horses.  A  tow- 
rope  was  made  fast  to  the  fore-mast,  and  about  a 
third  of  each  ship's  company  were  ordered  to  drag 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       2(51 

their  respective  ships  ahead.  Away  we  went,  as 
usual,  with  song  and  laughter,  tramping  along  *he 
ice,  for  miles  together,  and  towing  our  homes,  like 
snails,  after  us. 

For  several  days,  we  continued  the  same  work : 
and  afterwards,  when  we  got  out  of  the  lanes,  and 
the  ice  was  found  broken,  or  so  irregular  that  it 
was  impossible  to  walk  over  it,  we  had  to  carry  out 
ice-claws,  or  what  may  be  called  ice-kedges,  to  warp 
the  ship  ahead.  The  ice-claws  grappled  hold  of 
the  ice ;  and  the  warp  being  then  carried  round 
the  capstan,  or  windlass,  we  hove  in  on  it,  just  as 
if  we  were  heaving  up  an  anchor,  only  that  this 
work  continued  for  hour  after  hour,  and  days  and 
nights  in  succession,  without  intermission. 

Ten  days  passed  away,  much  in  the  manner  I 
have  described.  We  then  got  into  comparatively 
clear  water  for  a  few  hours  ;  during  which  timo 
the  other  ships  joined  us.  As  there  was  no  wind, 
we  had  to  tow  the  ship  ahead,  in  the  boats  ;  so  that 
there  was  no  cessation  of  our  labors. 

"  Well,"  I  exclaimed,  to  old  David  ;  "  I  suppose, 
after  all  this,  we  shall  soon  get  into  an  open  sea 
again." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  of  that,  or  of  anything  else, 
lad,"  he  answered.  "  We  have  not  yet  got  into  the 
thick  of  it,  let  me  tell  you." 

I  found  that  his  words  were  too  true.  The  boats 
had  been  hoisted  in,  for  a  breeze  had  sprung  up, 
and  we  were  progressing  favorably,  when  we  came 
to  some  large  floes.  The  openings  between  them 
were  wide,  and  without  hesitation  we  proceeded 
through  them.  On  a  sudden  these  vast  masses 
were  seen  in  motion,  slowly  moving  round  and 
round,  without  any  apparent  cause.  Tlie  captain 
bailed  from  the  crow's-nest,  ordering  the  ice-saw? 
to  be  got  ready,  and  the  ship  to  be  steered  towards 


U62  PE'JER    THE    WHALER. 

one  of  the  largest  floes  close  on  the  larboard-bo^. 
The  sails  were  clewed  up,  and  the  ice-claws  being 
carried  out,  the  ship  was  hauled  close  up  to  it ;  and 
while  the  captain  and  carpenters  were  measuring 
out  a  dock,  a  party  of  which  I  was  one,  set  to  work 
with  the  saws. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  A  moment  too 
late,  and  our  stout  ship  might  be  cracked  like  a 
walnut ;  and  we  might  be  cast  homeless  on  the 
bleak  expanse  of  ice  to  perish  miserably.  The  floes 
were  approaching  rapidly,  grinding  and  crushing 
against  one  another,  now  overlapping  each  other ; 
or,  like  wild  horses  fighting  desperately,  rearing 
up  against  each  other,  and  with  terrific  roar  break- 
ing into  huge  fragments. 

"  Bear  a  hand,  my  lads — bear  a  hand,  that's  good 
fellows.  We'll  not  be  nipped  this  time  if  we  can 
help  it,"  sung  out  the  officers  in  a  cheering  tone  to 
encourage  us,  though  the  anxious  looks  they  cast 
towards  the  approaching  masses  showed  that  their 
confidence  was  more  assumed  than  real. 

Whatever  we  thought,  we  worked  and  sung  away 
as  if  we  were  engaged  in  one  of  the  ordinary  occu- 
pations of  life  ;  and  that  though  we  were  in  a  hurry, 
there  was  no  danger  to  be  apprehended.  The  dock 
was  cut  longwise  into  the  ice  the  length  of  the  ship, 
which  was  to  be  hauled  in  stern  first.  As  there 
was  every  appearance  of  a  heavy  pressure,  the  ice 
at  the  inner  part  of  the  dock  was  cut  into  diamond- 
shaped  pieces,  so  that  when  the  approaching  floe 
should  press  on  the  bows,  the  vessel  might  sustain 
the  pressure  with  greater  ease,  by  either  driving 
the  pieces  on  to  the  ice,  or  rising  over  them. 

The  crews  of  all  the  other  ships  were  engaged  in 
the  same  way ;  but,  as  may  be  supposed,  we  had 
little  time  to  attend  to  them.  Our  captain  was  en- 
gaged in  superintending  our  operations ;  but  I  saw 


Hid    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       263 

him  cast  many  an  anxious  glance  towards  our 
advancing  foes. 

For  an  instant  he  ran  to  the  side  of  the  ship  and 
hailed  the  deck.  "Mr.  Todd,"  he  said,  "  it  will  be 
as  well  to  get  some  casks  of  provisions,  the  men's 
clothes,  and  a  few  spare  sails  for  tents,  and  such 
like  things  you  know,  ready  on  deck,  in  case  the  nip 
should  come  before  we  can  get  into  dock." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  mate,  not  a  bit  dis- 
concerted |  and  with  the  few  hands  remaining  on 
board,  he  set  about  obeying  our  commander's  some- 
what ominous  directions. 

I  ought  to  have  said,  that  the  rudder  had  at  the 
first  been  unshipped,  and  slung  across  the  stern,  as 
it  stands  to  reason,  that  when  pressed  against  by 
the  ice,  it  should  be  the  first  thing  injured.  .Still 
we  worked  away.  We  had  begun  to  saw  the  loose 
pieces  at  the  head  of  the  dock. 

'•  Hurra,  my  lads — knock  off,  and  bear  a  hand  to 
haul  her  in,"  shouted  out  the  captain ;  "  no  time  to 
be  lost." 

With  right  good  will  we  laid  hold  of  the  warps, 
and  towing  and  fending  off  the  ship's  bows  from  the 
outer  edge  of  the  ice,  we  got  her  safely  into  the 
dock.  We  then  set  to  work  to  cut  up  the  pieces. 
We  completed  our  labors  not  a  moment  too  soon, 
for  before  we  had  got  on  board  again,  the  tumult, 
which  had  been  long  raging  in  the  distance,  came 
with  increased  fury  around  us  ;  and  we  had  reason 
to  be  grateful  to  Heaven  that  we  were  placed  in  a 
situation  of  comparative  safety, 


264  Ffc.TER    THE    WHALER, 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

The  Nip  come.— A  Ship  nipped.— Go  to  her  aid.— Rescue  cui 
Countrymen.— Forecastle  Yarns  about  Shipwrecks  and  Whale- 
catching. — The  Nip  takes  off  and  we  are  free. — A  beautiful 
Scene. 

WE  were  safe — so  the  old  hands  said,  but  it  re- 
quired some  time  before  one  could  fully  persuade 
one's  self  of  the  fact.  Not  only  were  the  neighbor- 
ing floes  in  motion,  but  even  the  one  in  which  we 
were  fixed.  Rushing  together  with  irresistible 
force,  they  were  crushing,  and  grinding,  in  every 
direction,  with  a  noise  far  more  terrific  than  that  of 
thunder. 

The  ship,  meantime,  notwithstanding  all  our  pre- 
cautions, was  driven  back  before  the  force  opposed 
to  her ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  loose  pieces  un- 
der her  stern,  she  might  have  been  nipped  in  the 
most  dangerous  manner.  One  might  fancy  that 
the  floes  Avere  pitted  to  try  their  strength  against 
each  other,  though  it  would  have  been  difficult  to 
decide  which  was  the  victor. 

I  had  read  descriptions  of  earthquakes,  and  the 
commotion  reminded  me  of  them.  Those  who  have 
crossed  a  large  frozen  pond  or  lake,  will  remember 
the  peculiar  noise  \vhich  even  stout  ice  makes  when 
trod  on  for  the  first  time.  Fancy  this  noise  in- 
creased a  thousand  fold  ;  thundering  under  one's 
feet,  and  then  booming  away  till  the  sound  is  lost 
in  the  almost  interminable  distance,  then  the  field 
began  to  tremble,  and  slowly  rise,  and  then  to  rend 
and  rift  with  a  sullen  roar ;  and  mighty  blocks 
were  hove  up.  one  upon  another,  till  a  rampart 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       265 

bristling  with  huge  fragments,  was  formed  around 
the  ship,  threatening  her  with  destruction. 

It  seemed  like  the  work  of  magic,  for  where 
lately  there  was  a  wide  expanse  of  ice,  intersected 
with  lanes  of  clear  water,  there  was  now  a  country, 
as  it  were,  covered  with  hills  and  rocks,  rising  in 
every  fantastic  shape,  and  valleys  full  of  stones 
scattered  in  every  direction. 

In  several  places  large  misshapen  masses  had 
been  forced  up  in  a  perpendicular  position,  while 
others  had  been  balanced  on  their  summits  so  even- 
ly, that  the  slightest  touch  was  sufficient  to  send 
them  thundering  down  on  either  side. 

Our  own  safety  being  provided  for,  we  had  time 
to  look  after  our  consorts.  Most  of  them  had  man- 
aged, as  we  had  done,  to  get  into  docks ;  but  one 
which  had  taken  a  more  southerly  course,  appear- 
ed to  heel  over  on  one  side,  and  to  be  in  a  most  per- 
ilous condition. 

The  weather,  which  during  the  commotion  had 
been  very  thick,  now  for  an  instant  clearing  in  the 
direction  where  she  lay,  the  first  mate  ascended 
with  his  glass  to  the  crow's-nest,  and  on  coming  on 
deck  he  reported  that  the  Arctic  Swan  seemed  a 
complete  wreck,  and  that  the  boats  and  the  men's 
chests  were  scattered  about  round  her,  as  if  thrown 
on  the  ice  in  a  great  hurry. 

"  I  fear  it 's  a  very  bad  case,  sir  ;  and  if  you  '11 
give  me  leave,  I'll  take  a  party  and  see  what  help 
we  can  afford  them ;"  said  Mr.  Todd  to  the  cap- 
tain. 

Seamen  are  always  anxious  to  render  assistance 
to  those  in  peril,  and  Captain  Kendall  having  given 
his  permission,  plenty  of  volunteers  were  found  ready 
for  the  somewhat  hazardous  expedition.  I  was  one 
of  them.  The  risk  was,  that  during  our  absence  the 
ice  might  begin  to  take  off,  and  that  we  should  be 
23  w 


266  FETKR    THE    WHALER, 

separated  from  the  ship,  and  be  left  among  the  hear- 
ing and  tumbling  masses  of  ice.  Of  this,  probably, 
the  captain  had  not  much  fear,  or  he  would  not  have 
alh>M-ed  us  to  go. 

To  assist  our  return,  and  also  to  enable  us  to 
rescue  any  of  the  crew  of  the  wreck  who  might  be 
injured,  the  stern-boat  was  lowered,  that  we  might 
track  her  up  to  them.  Mr.  Todd,  three  other  men, 
and  I,  formed  the  party.  Away  we  went  towards 
the  ship,  dragging  our  boat  with  no  little  difficulty 
among  the  hummocks  and  masses,  with  some  risk 
of  the  blocks  toppling  down  on  our  heads  and  crush- 
ing us. 

As  we  drew  nearer  to  the  Arctic  Swan,  an  ex- 
clamation from  the  mate  made  us  look  up  at  her ; 
"There  they  go,"  he  cried,  "I  feared  so— she'll 
never  see  old  England  again." 

One  mast  fell  while  he  was  speaking,  and  the 
others  followed  directly  after  ;  and  one  fancied  one 
could  hear  the  crushing  in  of  the  ship's  sides  even 
at  that  distance.  That,  however,  was  not  the  case, 
for  the  ice  had  taken  but  short  time  to  perform  its 
work  of  destruction. 

When,  at  length,  we  got  up  to  the  ship,  a  scene 
of  ruin  presented  itself,  which,  before  I  saw  what 
ice  was,  I  could  scarcely  have  believed  could  have 
been  wrought  so  speedily.  Stout  as  were  her  tim- 
bers, the  ice  had  crushed  them,  at  the  bows  and 
stern,  completely  in,  and  grinding  them  to  powder, 
the  floes  had  actually  met  through  her.  Part  of 
her  keel  and  lower  works  had  sunk ;  but  the  rest  had 
been  forced  upwards,  and  lay  a  mass  of  wreck  on 
the  summit  of  the  hummocks,  which  had  been  formed 
under  it. 

The  stern,  by  the  concussion,  incredible  as  it  may 
seem,  had  been  carried  full  fifty  yards  from  the  rest 
of  the  wreck.  Two  boats  only  had  been  saved,  the 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       267 

test  had  been  crushed  by  the  ice  before  they  could 
be  lowered  and  carried  free.  A  few  casks  of  pro- 
visions had  been  got  up  on  deck  beforehand,  in  case 
of  such  an  accident  happening,  and  they,  with  the 
two  boats,  were  upon  the  ice. 

The  crew  had  escaped  with  the  greatest  difficulty ; 
some,  having  gone  below  to  get  their  bags,  being 
nearly  caught  in  the  nip  and  crushed  to  death.  At 
first  their  faculties  were  paralyzed  with  the  disas- 
ter, for  the  thick  weather  prevented  them  from  see- 
ing that  any  help  was  near ;  and  they  feared  that 
they  should  have  to  attempt  to  escape  in  the  two 
boats,  which,  even  without  provisions,  would  not 
have  held  them  all. 

Seamen  are  not  addicted  to  giving  way  to  despair  ; 
and  their  officers  soon  succeeded  in  rousing  them, 
and  in  inducing  them  to  set  to  work  to  take  mea- 
sures for  their  safety.  Having  stowed  away  the 
most  portable  and  nutritious  of  their  provisions  in 
the  boats,  they  began  to  make  a  strong  raft,  to  carry 
those  whom  the  boats  could  not  contain  ;  purposing 
afterwards,  should  the  ice  not  break  up  before,  to 
build  a  barge  out  of  the  fragments  of  the  wreck. 

They  were  so  busily  employed  that  they  did  not 
see  our  approach ;  and  a  loud  shout  we  gave  was 
the  first  intimation  they  had  of  it.  They  all  started 
up  to  see  who  was  so  unexpectedly  coming  to  their 
relief,  and  then  responded  to  our  cheer  with  a  hearty 
good  will.  They  at  once  began  lightening  the  boats, 
BO  as  to  be  able  to  drag  them  over  the  ice  to  our 
ship ;  and  some  of  the  provisions  we  took  into  ours>. 
as  well  as  their  clothes. 

The  master  gave  a  last  glance  at  the  wreck  of 
the  ship,  with  which  he  had  been  entrusted ;  and 
with  a  heavy  heart,  I  doubt  not,  turned  away  from 
her  forever.  After  taking  some  food  in  the  shape 
of  salt  pork  and  biscuit,  which  we  much  needed,  \v< 


268  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

commenced  our  return  to  the  ship.  Delay,  we  all 
felt,  was  dangerous,  for  should  the  commotion  of 
the  ice  re-commence  before  we  could  regain  the 
ship,  we  ran  a  great  chance  of  destruction. 

At  length,  however,  after  four  hours'  toil,  we  ac- 
complished our  journey  in  safety,  and  the  ship- 
wrecked crew  were  welcomed  on  board  the  Shetland 
Maid.  Some  persons  might  say  that,  after  all,  they 
had  little  to  congratulate  themselves  on,  for  that 
the  same  accident  which  had  happened  to  them 
might  occur  to-morrow  to  us.  Though  we  were, 
of  course,  aware  of  this,  I  must  say  that  I  do  not 
believe  the  idea  ever  troubled  any  one  of  us ;  and 
we  all  fully  expected  to  return  home  in  the  autumn, 
notwithstanding  the  destruction  which  was,  we  saw, 
the  lot  of  so  many. 

That  night,  in  the  forecastle,  there  was  as  much 
fun  and  laughter  as  if  we  had  all  come  off  some  plea- 
sant excursion ;  and  our  light-hearted  guests  seemed 
entirely  to  have  forgotten  their  losses. 

"  Well,  mates,  it  is  to  be  hoped  none  of  the  other 
ships  has  met  with  the  same  ill-luck  that  yours 
has,"  said  old  David.  "  It  will  be  a  wonder  if  they 
have  not.  I  mind  the  time,  for  it's  not  long  ago, 
that  nineteen  fine  ships  were  lost  altogether,  about 
here.  It  was  a  bad  year  for  the  underwriters  ;  and 
for  the  owners,  too,  let  me  tell  you.  I  was  on  board 
the  Rattler,  a  fine  new  ship,  when,  in  company  with 
many  others,  we  were  beset,  not  far  from  Cape 
York,  by  the  ice,  driven  in  by  a  strong  south-wester. 

"  Our  best  chance  was  to  form  a  line  under  the 
ice  of  the  heaviest  floe  we  could  pick  out ;  and  there, 
stem  and  stern  touching  each  other,  we  waited  for 
what  was  to  come.  The  gale  increased,  and  forced 
the  floes  one  over  the  other,  till  the  heaviest  in 
eight  came  driving  down  upon  us.  The  first  ship 
it  lifted  completely  on  to  the  ice ;  the  next  waff 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       2G9 

nearly  stove  in,  and  many  of  her  timbers  were 
broken ;  and  then  getting  more  in  earnest,  it  regu- 
larly dashed  to  pieces  the  four  next  it  got  foul  of, 
gendi*)?;  them  flying  over  the  ice  in  every  direction. 

"  V;  p  tyere  glad  enough  to  escape  with  our  lives, 
which  •*,*  had  hard  work  to  do  ;  and  then  some  hun- 
dred cj  us  were  turned  adrift,  not  knowing  what  to 
do  with  onrselves.  We  thought  ourselves  badly  off; 
but  we  were  many  times  better  than  the  people  of 
another  %hip  near  us.  They  had  made  fast  to  an 
iceberg,  when  it  toppled  right  over,  and  crushed 
them  and  the  ship  to  atoms.  We  were  not  alone, 
for  not  far  from  from  us  another  fleet  was  destroyed ; 
and  altogether  we  mustered  nearly  a  thousand  strong 
— Englishmen,  Frenchmen,  and  Danes.  We  built 
huts,  and  put  up  tents  ;  and  as  we  had  saved  plenty 
of  provisions,  and  had  liquor  in  abundance,  we  had 
a  very  jolly  time  of  it. 

"  The  Frenchmen  had  music,  you  may  be  sure  ; 
so  we  had  dancing  and  singing  to  our  hearts'  con- 
tent, and  were  quite  sorry  when  the  wind  shifted, 
and  the  ice  breaking  up,  we  had  to  separate  on, 
board  the  few  ships  which  escaped  wreck." 

"  I  remember  that  time  well,"  said  Alec  Garrock, 
a  Shetlander  belonging  to  our  ship.  "  It  was  a 
mercy  no  lives  were  lost,  either  escaping  from  the 
ships,  or  afterwards,  when  we  were  living  on  the 
ice,  and  travelling  from  one  station  to  the  other. 
It  seems  wonderful  to  me  that  I'm  alive  here,  to 
talk  about  what  once  happened  to  me.  The  boat  I 
was  in  had  killed  a  whale  in  good  style  5  and  when 
we  had  lashed  the  fins  together,  and  made  it  fast 
to  the  stern  of  the  boat,  we  saw  that  a  number  of 
whales  were  blowing  not  far  off — I  ought  to  say 
we  were  close  under  an  iceberg.  We,  of  course, 
were  eager  to  be  among  them  ;  and,  as  you  must 
know,  the  stern-boat  had  just  before  been  seat  to 
w» 


270  PETER    THE    \VHALER, 

ns  with  one  hand  in  her  with  another  line,  and  we 
wanted  him  to  stay  by  the  dead  fish.  Ho  said  he 
would  not — if  we  liked  to  go,  so  would  he  ,  but  stay 
there  by  himself,  while  sport  was  going  on,  he 
would  not. 

"  At  last  we  resolved  to  leave  the  small  boat 
empty,  and  to  take  him  in  ours.  To  this  he  agreed  ; 
so  making  the  whale  fast  to  his  boat,  and  securing 
the  boat  to  the  berg,  away  we  pulled  as  fast  as  we 
could  lay  our  backs  to  the  oars,  after  a  fish  we  saw 
blowing  near  us.  Now.  what  I  tell  you  is  true, 
mates.  Not  thirty  fathoms  had  we  pulled,  when 
over  toppled  the  iceberg  right  down  on  the  boat, 
•and  we  were  nearly  swamped  with  the  sea  it  made. 
When  we  pulled  back  to  look  for  the  whale,  neither 
it  nor  the  boat  was  to  be  seen.  You  may  fancy 
what  would  have  become  of  us  if  we  had  been 
there." 

"  There  are  none  of  us,  to  my  belief,  but  have 
often,  if  we  would  but  acknowledge  it,  been  mer- 
cifully preserved  by  Providence,"  observed  my 
friend  Andrew.  "  I  won't  speak  of  what  has  hap- 
pened to  myself,  and  Terence,  and  Peter  here.  No 
one  will  doubt,  I  hope,  but  that  it  was  the  finger 
of  God  directed  you  to  take  us  off  the  iceberg,  but 
every  day  some  less  remarkable  case  occurs.  A 
block  falls  from  aloft  on  the  deck,  where  a  moment 
before  we  were  standing — a  musket  ball  passes 
close  to  one's  ear — a  topmast  is  carried  away,  just 
as  we  have  come  off  the  yard,  and  fifty  other  things 
occur  of  like  nature,  and  we  never  think  of  being 
grateful  for  our  preservation.  Talking  of  escapes, 
I  once  saw  a  man  carried  overboard  by  a  line  round 
his  ankle  as  a  fish  was  diving.  We  all  gave  him 
up  for  lost ;  but  he  had  a  sharp  knife  in  the  right 
hand  pocket  of  his  jacket,  and  he  kept  his  thoughts 
about  him  so  well  that  before  he  had  got  many 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       271 

fathoms  down,  he  managed  to  stoop,  and  to  cut  the 
line  below  his  foot,  then  striking  with  all  his  might, 
he  rose  to  the  surface." 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  tell  of  the  Dutchman  who 
had  a  ride  on  the  back  of  a  whale  1"  asked  David. 
"  He  had  just  stuck  his  harpoon  into  a  fish,  w-hen, 
lifting  up  her  tail,  she  drove  the  boat  into  shatters. 
He  fell  on  his  back,  and  got  hold  of  his  harpoon 
his  foot,  at  the  same  time,  being  entangled  in  the 
line.  Away  swam  the  fish  on  the  top  of  the  water, 
fortunately  for  him,  never  thinking  of  diving.  He 
stood  upright  all  the  time,  holding  on  by  his  right 
hand,  while  his  left  tried  in  vain  to  find  his  knife, 
to  cut  himself  clear.  Another  boat  followed,  for 
the  chance  of  rescuing  him  ;  but  there  appeared 
but  little  hope  of  his  being  saved,  unless  he  could 
free  himself.  Just  as  the  fish  was  going  down,  the 
harpoon  shook  out,  and  jumping  off  it's  back,  to 
"vhich  he  gave  a  hearty  kick,  he  struck  out  for  the 
boat,  and  was  picked  up  when  he  could  swim  no 
more.  He  is  the  only  man  I  ever  heard  of  who 
really  has  ridden  on  a  whale's  back,  though  there's 
many  a  tale  told  of  those  who  have,  which  is  not 
true." 

"  I've  heen  on  the  back  of  a  live  whale  more 
than  once,"  said  Garrock.  "  I  mean  when  we've 
been  fishing  among  bay  ice,  and  the  fish  have  come 
up  through  the  holes  to  breathe.  But  I  was  going 
to  say  how  last  season  we  had  a  chase  after  a  fish, 
which  gave  us  more  trouble  than  I  ever  saw  before. 
It  led  us  a  chase  for  the  best  part  of  the  day,  after 
it  had  been  struck  ;  it  dragged  one  boat,  with 
twenty  lines  fast,  right  under  a  floe,  and  then  broke 
away ;  and  when  we  killed  it  at  last,  it  had  taken 
out  thirty  lines,  which,  as  you  know,  is  close  upon 
six  miles  of  line." 

Tt  us  yarn  after  yarn  was  spun.     I  do  not  at- 


272  PETER   THE    WHALER. 

tempt  to  give  the  peculiar  phraseology  of  the 
speakers  ;  but  their  stories,  which  I  believe  to  be 
perfectly  true,  may  prove  interesting.  For  a  whole 
week  we  were  beset,  and  some  of  the  green  hands 
began  to  fancy  that  we  should  be  blocked  up  for 
the  winter  ;  but  the  old  ones  knew  better. 

Every  day  the  surface  of  the  ice,  where  the  nip 
had  taken  place,  was  examined  with  anxious  eyes, 
in  the  hopes  that  some  sign  of  its  taking  off  or 
breaking  up  might  be  given.  At  length  the  pres- 
sure became  less,  the  sound  under  the  ice  shrill 
and  sharp,  instead  of  the  sullen  roar  which  had 
before  been  heard  ;  the  fragments  which  had  been 
cast  above  others  began  to  glide  down  and  disap- 
pear in  the  chasms  which  were  opening  around  ; 
and  water  was  seen  in  a  long  thin  line  extending 
to  the  northward. 

A  lane  was  formed,  with  a  wall  of  fragments  on 
either  side ;  the  lane  widened,  the  fragments 
rushed  into  the  water,  and  the  captain,  from  the 
crow's-nest,  ordered  the  ship  to  be  towed  out  of 
dock.  The  order  was  cheering  to  our  hearts  ;  and 
as  we  had  plenty  of  hands,  it  was  soon  executed. 
All  sail  was  made,  and  away  we  flew  through  the 
passage,  in  a  hurry  to  take  advantage  of  it,  lest  it 
should  again  close  upon  us.  We  succeeded  in  get- 
ting clear,  and  soon  after  were  join,ed  by  our  con- 
sorts, which  had  escaped  the  nip. 

We  made  the  land  again,  to  the  northward  of 
Cape  York  ;  and  when  close  in,  were  completely 
becalmed.  The  boats  of  each  ship  were  ordered 
ahead  to  tow,  and  thus  we  slowly  progressed  along 
one  of  the  most  picturesque  scenes  it  has  ever 
been  my  fortune  to  witness  in  the  Arctic  regions. 
The  water  was  of  glassy  smoothness,  the  sky  of 
brightest  blue,  and  the  atmosphere  of  perfect  trans- 
parency ;  while  around  floated  numberless  ice 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AM)    ADVENTURES.        273 

bergs  of  the  most  beautiful  forms,  and  of  dazzling 
hues — while  all  around  was  glancing  and  glitter- 
ing beneath  a  bright  and  glowing  sun. 

One  .berg,  I  remember,  was  of  enormous  size. 
On  the  north  side,  it  was  perpendicular,  as  if  just 
severed  from  another ;  but,  as  we  rounded  it,  on 
the  west,  ledge  above  ledge  appeared,  each  fringed 
with  icicles  reaching  to  the  one  below  ;  thus  form- 
ing lines  of  graceful  columns,  with  a  gallery  with- 
in, appearing  as  if  tinged  with  emerald  green. 
The  summit  was  peaked  and  turreted,  and  broken 
into  many  fantastic  forms.  On  the  eastern  side,  a 
clear  arch  was  seen  ;  and  several  small  cascades 
fell  from  ledge  to  ledge,  with  a  trickling  sound,  and 
into  the  water,  with  a  gentle  splash,  which  could 
distinctly  be  heard  as  we  passed. 

It  must  be  remembered,  that,  in  every  direction, 
arose  bergs  of  equal  beauty  ;  while,  in  the  back 
ground,  were  lofty  cliffs  covered  with  snow,  tinted 
of  a  pinkish  hue,  and  above  them,  of  dazzling 
whiteness,  ranges  of  eternal  glaciers,  towering  to 
the  sky.  I  could  scarcely  have  believed  that  a  scene 
of  such  enchanting  beauty  could  have  existed  in 
the  Arctic  regions,  and  was  inclined  to  fancy,  as  I 
pulled  at  the  oar,  that  they  were  rocks  of  Parian 
marble  and  alabaster,  and  that  the  galleries  and 
caverns  they  contained  were  the  abodes  of  fairies 
and  the  'guardian  spirits  of  those  realms.  But, 
avast !  what  has  Peter  the  Whaler  to  do  with  such 
poetical  ideas. 

On  we  worked  our  way,  northward.  In  clear 
weather,  when  a  good  look-out  was  to  be  had  from 
the  crow's-nest,  we  were  able  to  make  our  way 
among  the  streams  of  ice  ;  but,  in  thick  weather, 
when  our  course  could  not  be  marked  out,  we  were 
Badly  delayed. 

At  last,  after  keeping  a  westerly  course  for  a 


274  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

few  hours,  we  broke  through  all  intervening  bar- 
riers, and  once  more  felt  our  gallant  ship  lifting  to 
the  buoyant  waves  of  the  open  sea,  or,  rather,  what 
is  called  the  "  North  water." 

The  ice,  by  the  warm  weather,  the  currents,  and 
the  northerly  winds,  being  driven  out  of  Lan- 
caster sound,  and  the  head  of  Baffin's  bay,  to  the 
southward,  leaves  this  part,  for  most  of  the  sum- 
mer, free  from  impediments.  In  five  days  after 
leaving  the  eastern  land,  having  passed  the  north 
of  Lancaster  sound,  we  came  off  the  famous  fishing 
station  of  Pond's  bay. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Pond's  Bay.— A  run  of  Whales.— More  Fishing.— Sea  Unicorns. 
—Lose  a  Fish.— A  fast  Fish.— Leave  the  Bay  .'-An  Account  of 
some  Arctic  Expeditions,  sent  in  search  of  Sir  John  Frank- 
lin and  his  brave  Companions. 

THE  whole  coast,  in  most  places,  was  lined  with 
a  sheet  of  ice,  some  ten  or  fifteen  miles  wide,  to  the 
edge  of  which,  in  perfectly  smooth  water,  our  ship, 
with  many  others,  at  various  distances,  was  made 
fast. 

Fancy  a  day,  warm  to  our  feelings  as  one  at  the 
same  time  of  year  in  England,  and  an  atmosphere 
of  a  brilliancy  rarely,  or  never,  seen  at  home — not 
a  breath  of  air  stirring  the  glassy  surface  of  the 
shining  ocean  ;  while,  on  the  land  side,  lofty  moun- 
tains stretched  away  on  either  side,  with  the  open- 
ing of  the  bay  in  the  centre — the  rocks,  of  num- 
berless tints,  from  the  many-colored  lichens  growing 
on  them,  rising,  as  it  were,  out  of  a  bed  of  snow, 
still  filling  the  valleys,  even  in  midsummer  ;  while 
mid- way,  along  the  dark  frowning  crags  which 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       2lt) 

formed  the  coast,  hung  a  wavy  line  of  semi-trans- 
parent mist,  now  tinged  with  a  crimson  hue.  from 
the  almost  horizontal  rays  of  the  sun,  verging  to- 
wards midnight. 

These  objects,  also,  it  must  be  understood,  ap 
oeared  so  close  at  hand,  that  I  could  scarcely  per- 
made  myself,  that  an  easy  run  across  the  level  ice 
?ould  not  carry  me  up  to  them  ;  and  yet,  all  the 
ivhile,  they  were  upwards  of  a  dozen  miles  off. 

Most  of  the  watch  were  "  on  the  bran,"  that  is, 
were  in  the  boats  stationed  along  the  edge  of  the 
ice,  on  the  look-out  for  whales.  A  few  hands  only, 
besides  myself,  were  on  deck,  taking  our  fisher- 
man's walk,  with  our  fingers  in  our  pockets,  and 
the  watch  below  were  sound  asleep  in  their  berths, 
when  Captain  Rendall,  as  was  his  custom,  went 
aloft  before  turning  in,  to  take  a  look-out  for  fish 
from  his  crow's-nest.  We  watched  him  eagerly. 
In  a  few  minutes  he  hailed  the  deck,  with  the  joy- 
ful news  that  at  about  ten  miles  off  there  was  a 
whole  run  of  whales,  spouting  away  as  fast  as  they 
could  blow. 

On  the  instant,  instead  of  the  silence  and  tran- 
quillity which  had  before  prevailed,  all  was  now 
noise,  excitement,  and  hurry.  The  sleepers  tumbled 
up  from  below,  the  harpooners  got  ready  their  gear 
and  received  their  orders  from  the  master,  the 
boats  on  the  "  bran"  came  alongside,  to  have  their 
kegs  replenished  with  water,  and  their  tubs  with 
bread,  beef,  and  pork  ;  while  the  more  eager  mates 
ran  aloft,  to  assure  themselves  of  the  best  direction 
to  take. 

In  a  few  minutes,  five  boats  were  pulling  out  to- 
wards the  "  run,"  as  if  the  lives  of  a  ship's  company 
depended  on  our  exertions.  "  Hurra  !  my  lads, 
hurra  !  give  way  !"  shouted  our  boat-steerers  ;  and 
give  way  we  did,  indeed. 


276  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

Frequently,  as  we  pulled  on,  we  heard  the  loud 
blasts  of  the  narwhals,  or  sea-unicorns,  as  they 
came  towards  the  bay  in  shoals  ;  and  each  time  I 
fancied  we  must  be  close  upon  a  whale,  and  that  the 
sport  was  about  to  begin,  so  loud  a  sound  did  they 
make. 

The  sea-unicorn  is,  when  full  grown,  from  thirteen 
to  sixteen  feet  long,  and  has  a  long  spiral  horn  or 
tusk  growing  rather  on  one  side  out  of  its  upper 
jaw,  of  from  eight  to  ten  feet  in  length.  The  eyes 
are  very  small,  the  blow-hole  is  directly  over  them, 
and  the  head  is  small,  blunt  and  round,  and  the 
mouth  cannot  be  opened  wide.  The  color,  when 
young,  is  grey,  with  darker  spots  on  it,  and  when 
full  grown,  of  a  yellowish  white.  It  is  a  very  in- 
offensive animal.  It  is  said  to  use  its  horn  for  the 
purpose  of  breaking  through  the  ice  to  breathe,  and 
neither  to  destroy  its  prey,  nor  to  defend  itself.  It 
swims  very  fast — when  struck,  dives  rapidly  :  but 
soon  returns  to  the  surface,  and  is  easily  killed. 
We  passed  several  shoals  r  f  them  on  our  pull,  be- 
fore we  got  up  to  the  run,  near  a  small  floe. 

"  There  she  blows  !"  exclaimed  our  boat-steerer, 
almost  in  a  whisper,  so  great  was  his  eagerness  and 
fear  of  disturbing  the  fish,  as  a  large  fish  appeared 
close  to  us.  We  had  a  fine  burst :  the  harpooner 
was  on  his  feet,  and  his  weapon  glancing  from  hia 
hand,  struck  the  monster. 

Instead,  however,  of  diving,  up  he  rose,  clear  al- 
most from  the  water,  his  head  first,  seeming,  as  his 
immense  bulk  appeared  against  the  sky,  like  some 
giant  of  the  deep.  We  thought  he  was  going  to  leap 
on  to  the  floe  ;  but  suddenly  plunging  his  head  be 
neath  the  water,  his  tremendous  tail  was  lifted 
above  us.  I  thought  all  was  over.  One  blow  from 
it  would  have  annihilated  us,  and  dashed  our  boat 
into  a  thousand  fragments  ;  but  the  fish,  instead 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       277 

Jived  directly  down  under  the  floe,  his  tail  cnly 
splashing  the  water  over  us,  and  we  were  safe. 

Then  arose  the  exciting  shout  of  "  A  fall,  a  fall !" 
Other  boats  came  hurrying  to  our  aid  ;  but,  alas, 
the  line  on  a  sudden  slackened,  and  with  a  blank 
face,  the  harpooner  began  to  haul  it  in. 

The  fish  had  shaken  himself  clear  of  the  harpoon, 
and  escaped.  Mighty  must  have  been  the  forc« 
used  :  for  the  massive  iron  shaft  was  twisted  and 
turned  as  a  thin  piece  of  wire  might  have  been  bent 
by  a  turn  of  the  hand. 

But,  hurra,  there  are  plenty  more  fish  near,  and 
with  a  will,  little  disconcerted,  we  gave  way  after 
them.  One  was  seen  at  some  distance  from  a  floe, 
in  which  there  was  a  crack.  Now,  it  is  known  that 
a  whale  generally  rises  close  to  the  nearest  floe, 
and  if  there  is  a  crack  in  it,  that  part  is  selected 
instead  of  the  outer  edge.  We  got  up  to  it  before 
the  fish  appeared  ;  our  oars  were  out  of  the  water  ; 
our  harpooner  standing  up  and  watching  eagerly 
every  sign  of  the  approach  of  our  expected  prey, 
guiding  by  signs  the  boat-steerer,  who,  with  his 
oar,  was  silently  impelling  on  the  boat  by  scul- 
ling. 

"  Gently  boys — there's  her  eddy — two  strokes 
more — now  avast  pulling." 

I  could  just  see  the  head,  and  the  large  black 
mass  of  the  monster's  back,  rising  slowly  from  the 
water  as  he  spoke,  forming  a  strong  contrast  to 
the  clear  blue  and  white  of  the  ice,  and  pure  glit- 
tering sea.  Then  was  heard  the  peculiar  snorting 
blast,  as  he  sent  up  in  the  air  two  watery  jets  ;  but 
in  an  instant  we  wei  c  upon  him. 

"  Harden  up,  my  lads  ;"  shouted  the  harpooner, 
and  a  lusty  stroke  sent  us  almost  on  to  the  mon- 
Bters  back  ;  then  flew  forth  his  unerring  harpoon. 

For  a  few  moments,  but  for  a  few  only,  the  whale 


278  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

Beemed  prepared  to  die  without  a  struggle-  -a  con 
fulsive  quiver  passed  through  its  frame — then  lift- 
ing up  its  flukes,  it  dived  down,  like  its  predecessor, 
beneath  the  floe.  The  iron  had  sunk  in,  and  raising 
our  Blue  Jack,  with  a  loud  shout  we  proclaimed  a 
fall.  Out  flew  the  line  with  tremendous  rapidity. 
Now  the  harpooner,  sitting  on  his  thwart,  attempted 
to  check  the  fish  by  turning  the  line  round  the 
bollard,  but  so  quickly  did  it  pass  through  his 
hands,  shielded  by  mitts,  that,  almost  in  spite  of 
the  water  thrown  on  it,  smoke  ascended  from  the 
burning  wood,  while  the  bows  of  the  boat  were 
drawn  through  the  underwash  to  the  solid  floe  be- 
yond. 

At  times  we  thought  the  boat's  bow  would  have 
been  drawn  under  the  floe ;  again  the  line-mana- 
ger let  the  line  run  out,  and  she  rose  once  more, 
to  be  drawn  down  directly  it  was  checked ;  but  it 
was  all  important  to  tire  the  fish,  or  otherwise  all 
our  line  might  be  taken  out  before  any  assistance 
could  come.  Should  this  be  the  the  case  we  might, 
after  all,  lose  the  fish.  First  one  oar  was  elevated 
to  show  our  need  of  aid  ;  then  a  second,  a  third, 
and  a  fourth,  as  the  line  drew  near  what  is  called 
the  "  bitter  end." 

"  Hold  on,  Darby,  hold  on  ;"  we  shouted  in  our 
eagerness  ;  for  we  feared  we  might  have  to  cut,  or 
that  the  boat  might  be  drawn  under.  Our  ship- 
mates tugged  away  at  their  oars  with  all  their 
might ;  the  boats  from  every  direction  dashing 
through  the  water  to  the  point  where  they  thought 
the  fish  might  rise.  Our  line  at  the  very  end  be- 
gan to  slacken,  a  sign  that  she  had  ceased  diving. 
She  appeared  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off  or  more  at  the 
edge  of  the  floe. 

T'\e  quick-sighted  eye  of  the  first  mate  was  on 
he/  ilmost  before  she  had  reached  the  surfaca4 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.        279 

and  before  she  could  again  seek  safety  in  the  ocean's 
depths,  another  harpoon  was  plunged  into  her.  We 
instantly  began  hauling  in  our  lines,  but  before 
long  she  was  off  again,  swimming  away  some  depth 
below  the  surface,  at  a  great  rate,  while  we  and 
the  other  boat  were  towed  after  her.  Again  the 
strain  slackened,  and  she  rose  once  more  ;  but  this 
time  her  foes  were  close  to  her.  Another  harpoon 
was  struck,  but  it  was  needless.  Without  mercy 
lances  were  thrust  into  her  on  every  side,  till  the 
shouts  which  reached  our  ears,  as  we  slowly  ap- 
proached, hauling  in  our  lines,  proclaimed  that  our 
victory  was  complete.  The  fish  was  now  secured, 
as  I  have  before  described,  and  made  fast  to  a  floe, 
while  all  but  one  boat  made  chase  after  another 
fish,  which  blew  temptingly  near. 

I  ought  to  have  said,  that  after  securing  the 
whale,  all  hands  turned  to  with  a  right  good  will 
to  attack  the  bread  and  meat  we  had  with  us  ;  for 
though  whale-hunting  beats  hollow  any  other  style 
of  hunting,  whether  of  deer,  elephants,  or  tigers, 
yet  it  cannot  by  any  manner  of  means  be  carried 
on  without  sustenance  to  the  frame. 

Away  we  went  then,  the  boat  of  the  first  mate 
leading"!  He,  too,  was  successful  in  striking  the 
fish.  Three  times  she  dived ;  but  each  time  one  or 
other  of  her  enemies  were  upon  her  with  harpoon 
and  lances,  while  her  eddying  wake  was  dyed  with 
blood,  and  a  thick  pellicle  of  oil,  which  attracted 
crowds  of  the  persevering  Mollies  to  feast  on  it, 
marked  her  course. 

She  at  last  rose  close  to  a  floe,  when  we  all  rushed 
in  upon  her.  The  cry  of  "  Stern  all !"  was  given. 
Her  death-flurry  had  come  on.  High  up  in  the  air 
she  sent  a  stream  of  blood  and  oil,  which  fell  thick 
upon  us  in  showers  of  spray,  and  a  hummock  which 


280  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

was  near ;  and  the  edges  of  the  ice  were  tlyed  of  a 
crimson  tint. 

The  weariness  which  began  to  oppress  even  the 
strongest,  told  us  that  we  had  had  work  enough,  arid 
that  a  second  night  was  approaching.  With  shouts 
of  satisfaction,  we  now  began  the  task  of  towing  our 
prizes  to  the  ship.  It  was  slow  and  wearying  work  ; 
but  every  fish  we  took  brought  us  nearer  home,  so 
we  set  cheerfully  about  it. 

When  we  at  length  reached  the  ship,  we  found 
that  we  had  been  full  thirty-six  hours  away,  nearly 
all  the  time  in  active  exertion ;  and  yet,  from  the 
excitement  of  the  work,  neither  did  we  feel  unusu- 
ally weary,  nor  were  we  aware  of  the  time  which 
had  passed. 

I  must  remind  my  readers,  that  this  could  only 
nappen  in  a  latitude,  and  at  a  period  where  there 
is  little  or  no  difference  between  night  and  day. 
Our  fishing  was  most  successful,  partly  owing  to 
our  good  fortune  in  meeting  with  fish ;  but  owing 
also  much  to  the  sagacity  of  our  captain  and  hia 
officers. 

Similar  scenes  were  occurring  every  day ;  but 
though  they  were  all  nearly  as  exciting,  and  the  in- 
terest of  the  sport  was  never  decreased,  but  rather 
grew  on  us ;  yet  if  I  were  to  attempt  to  describe 
each  chase,  and  how  each  fish  was  killed,  my  readera 
would  weary  with  the  account. 

For  the  greater  part  of  a  month  we  remained  in 
the  bay ;  and  now  the  fish  becoming  scarce,  and  the 
summer  drawing  to  a  conclusion,  with  a  fair  breeze 
we  made  sail  to  the  southward. 

I  spoke  of  our  having  passed  Lancaster  sound,  a 
short  way  to  the  south  of  which  Pond's  bay  is 
situated.  I  did  not  mention  at  the  time  the  interest 
with  which  I  regarded  that  vast  inlet — the  mouth, 
one  cannot  help  fancying,  to  the  unknown  sea, 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES        281 

which  bounds  the  northern  shores  of  the  American 
continent.  I  certainly  think  more  of  it  now,  while 
I  am  writing,  than  I  did  then,  because  I  have  since 
become  aware  of  the  many  gallant  exploits  which 
have  been  there  performed,  and  the  bold  attempts 
which  have  been  made  to  pierce  through  it  to  the 
seas  beyond. 

I  need  scarcely  remind  my  readers,  that  up  that 
passage  the  veteran  arctic  explorer,  Sir  John  Frank- 
lin, and  his  brave  companions,  are  supposed  to  have 
proceeded.  Under  his  command,  the  Erebus  and 
Terror  sailed  from  the  Thames,  on  the  26th  May, 
1845,  to  proceed  up  Davis'  Straits,  then  into  Lan- 
caster Sound,  and  from  thence,  without  stopping  to 
examine  the  coast,  to  push  westward  as  fast  as  they 
could  towards  Behring's  Straits. 

Captain  Crozier  had  command  of  the  Terror ;  and 
the  expedition  was  accompanied  by  the  transport, 
Bonetto  Junior,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Griffith, 
and  laden  with  provisions,  clothing,  etc.,  to  be  put 
on  board  the  ships  in  Davis'  Straits.  Both  ves- 
sels were  fitted  with  steam-engines  and  screw-pro- 
pellers ;  but  they  did  not  go  ahead  with  them  more 
than  three  knots  an  hour.  Lieutenant  Griffith 
reports — "  That  he  left  them  with  every  species  of 
provisions  for  three  entire  years,  independently  of 
five  bullocks ;  they  had  also  stores  for  the  same 
time,  and  fuel  in  abundance." 

The  expedition  was  last  seen  by  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  whaler,  on  the  26th  July,  in  latitude  74° 
48'  north,  longitude  66°  13'  west,  moored  to  an  ice- 
berg, and  waiting  for  an  opening  in  the  great  body 
of  ice,  which  I  have  described  as  filling  the  middle 
of  Baffin's  Bay,  in  order  to  reach  the  entrance  of 
Lancaster  Sound.  All  hands  were  well  and  in  higb 
spirits,  and  determined  to  succeed,  if  success  were 
x*  24 


282  PETER    THE     WHALER, 

possible  ;  bat  since  that  day  they  have  never  been 
heard  of. 

Year  after  year  have  those  gallant  men  in  vain 
been  looked  for  ;  but  not  without  hope  of  their  re- 
turn, nor  without  attempts  made  to  discover  and 
rescue  them 

When  the  year  1848  arrived,  and  no  tidings  had 
been  received  of  the  lost  voyagers,  it  was  determined 
to  send  out  three  expeditions  to  look  for  them.  One 
under  Captain  Kellet,  who  commanded  the  Herald, 
and  Captain  Moore,  who  commanded  the  Plover, 
proceeded  to  Behring's  Straits  ;  and  after  continu- 
ing along  the  American  coast  as  far  as  they  could 
go,  they  were  to  despatch  some  whale-boats,  to  meet 
a  second  expedition  under  Sir  John  Richardson  and 
Dr.  Rae,  who  were  to  descend  the  Mackenzie  River, 
and  there  to  examine  the  coast :  while  Sir  James 
Ross,  commanding  the  Enterprise,  and  Captain 
Bird,  the  Investigator,  were  to  proceed  at  once  to 
Lancaster  Sound,  and  there  to  examine  the  coast 
as  they  proceeded. 

After  leaving  deposits  of  food  and  directions  in 
several  places,  these  expeditions  returned,  without 
having  discovered  any  traces  of  our  missing  coun- 
trymen. 

Notwithstanding  the  ill  success  of  the  first  set 
of  expeditions,  others  wei-e  without  delay  deter- 
mined on.  Captain  Collinson  was  appointed  to 
command  the  Enterprise,  having  under  him  Com- 
mander M'Clure  in  the  Investigator ;  and  on  the 
20th  January,  1850,  they  sailed  from  Plymouth  for 
Behring's  Straits,  where  they  were  to  be  joined  by 
ihe  Plover.  They  were  to  endeavor  to  reach  Mel- 
ville Island. 

In  the  meantime,  Dr.  Rae,  who  had  remained  in 
America,  was  ordered  to  continue  his  search  along 
the  northern  coast ;  while  the  Government  of  the 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      283 

Unite  1  States  prepared  an  expedition  for  the  same 
purpose,  consisting  of  two  brigantines  now  enrolled 
in  the  United  States  Navy — the  Advance,  of  144 
tons,  and  the  Rescue,  of  91  tons.  These  vessels 
have  heen  provided  and  fitted  out  by  the  generous 
munificence  of  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  a  merchant  of 
New  York,  at  an  expense  to  him  of  about  $30.000. 
Lieutenant  Edward  S.  De  Haven  commands  the 
expedition. 

The  British  Government,  likewise,  fitted  out  foui 
ships,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Austin,  in 
the  Resolute;  the  Assistance,  Captain  Ommanney; 
the  Pioneer,  Lieutenant  Osborn  ;  and  the  Free 
Trader ;  the  two  latter,  screw-propeller  steam- 
vessels. 

Two  private  expeditions  have  also  started.  The 
Lady  Franklin  is  commanded  by  Mr.  Penny,  a 
veteran  whaling  captain  ;  who  has  with  him  a  fine 
brig  as  a  tender,  called  the  Sophia.  Captain  Penny 
•was  to  be  guided  by  circumstances,  in  following  the 
course  he  judged  expedient.  Besides  this,  the 
veteran  explorer,  Sir  John  Ross,  has  taken  com- 
mand of  another  private  expedition.  He  is  on 
board  the  Felix,  a  large  schooner,  and  he  has  the 
Mary,  a  tender  of  twelve  tons,  with  him.  They  also 
are  to  proceed  to  Barrow  Straits,  and  to  examine 
various  headlands  on  their  way.  The  Mary  is  to 
be  left  at  Bank's  Land,  as  a  vessel  of  retreat,  and 
the  Felix  will  proceed  for  another  year,  as  far  as 
she  can  to  the  westward,  examining  the  coast  on 
the  way. 

These  last  expeditions  have  been  fitted  out  in 
consequence  of  the  energetic  and  persevering  efforts 
of  Lady  Franklin,  and  the  niece  of  Sir  John  Frank- 
lin, Miss  Sophia  Cracroft ;  and  those  who  have 
Been  them,  month  after  month  indcfatigably  labor- 
ing in  tLat,  to  th.:m,  holy  cause,  hoping  almost  at 


284  PETER   THE    WHALER, 

times  against  hope,  yet  still  undaunted,  persevering 
anTcariedly,  must  feel  and  heartily  pray  that  they 
may  have  their  reward  in  the  happy  return  of  the 
iong-missing  ones. 

I  was  unable  to  refrain  from  giving  this  brief 
sketch  of  a  subject  in  which  every  man  must  feel 
ihe  deepest  and  warmest  interest ;  and  I  now  resume 
>he  thread  of  my  more  humble  narrative. 


CHAPTER      XXIX. 

Dimmer  drawing  to  an  end. — Homeward  Voyage. — A  Calm. — 
Ominous  Signs. — Left  on  the  Ice. — Our  Ship  disappears. — A 
sudden  Blast. — A  Snow  Storm. — The  Gale  commences. — The 
Whale  and  Boat  lost— We  retreat  from  the  Sea. — Build  a 
Hut. — A  Visitor,  who  proves  in  the  end  a  welcome  one. — \fe 
keep  Watch.— We  are  in  a  bad  Plight. 

THE  return  of  darkness  during  the  night  gave 
us  notice  that  we  were  advancing  towards  the 
south j  and  that  the  short  Artie  summer  was  draw- 
ing to  a  close.  We  could  no  longer  continue  our 
course,  hour  after  hour,  without  interrnission,  as 
before,  the  officers  relieving  each  other  in  the  crow's- 
nest,  and  one  watch  following  the  other,  through 
cue  long  protracted  day. 

It  was  impossible,  with  any  safety,  to  proceed 
through  that  icy  sea,  when  darkness  came  on  ;  and, 
therefore,  each  night  we  were  obliged  to  make  th« 
ship  fast  to  a  floe,  till  the  return  of  day-light.  But 
those  nights  were  sometimes  such  as  are  not  to  bo 
found  in  another  realm.  The  bright  moon  floated 
in  an  atmosphere  the  most  clear  and  brilliant  that 
can  be  conceived  ;  Avhile  the  silvery  masses  of  ice 
lay  sparkling  beneath  it,  as  they  floated  en  th« 
calm  and  majcsth  ocean. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       285 

Then  the  sun  at  setting,  bathing  the  sea.  the  sky, 
the  rugged  mountains,  the  pinnacles  of  the  ice- 
bergs, and  the  lower  floes,  with  colors  and  tints 
more  beautiful  and  varied  than  the  imagination  can 
picture,  far  more  than  words  can  describe.  But 
1  should  not  dwell  on  such  scenes,  except  that  I 
wish  to  observe,  that  God  distributes  his  bounties 
throughout  the  globe  with  an  equal  hand ;  and  that 
barren  and  inhospitable  as  is  that  land,  no  less 
than  in  souhtern  realms,  is  his  power  and  goodness 
displayed. 

For  about  four  days  we  had  proceeded  south,  our 
course  interrupted  whenever  we  met  with  a  whale  ; 
and  if  she  was  killed,  we  made  fast  to  a  floe,  till  we 
had  flensed  and  made  off.  Some  of  the  smaller 
•whalers  had  got  full  ships,  and  with  joyous  shouts 
and  light  hearts  on  board,  they  passed  us  on  their 
way  home  ;  and  others,  unwilling  to  wait,  returned 
not  full,  so  that  we  were  nearly  the  last  ship. 

The  weather  continued  beautifully  fine,  though 
now  growing  cold  and  chilly.  We  also  had  nearly 
a  full  ship,  and  were  congratulating  ourselves  on 
soon  being  able  to  follow  those  which  had  preceded 
us  ;  but,  till  we  were  quite  full,  we  could  not  think 
of  doing  so,  while  the  ice  continued  open,  and  there 
was  a  chance  of  a  fish.  Consequently,  we  were  all 
on  the  look  out,  and  more  eager  than  ever  to  secure 
our  prey. 

One  afternoon,  while  we  were  under  weigh,  the 
cheering  sound  of  "A  fish,  a  fish  !  see,  she  blows  !" 
from  the  crow's-nest,  roused  us  all  to  activity.  Two 
boats  were  immediately  equipped,  and  sent  in  chase. 
I  was  in  one  of  them.  "W  hile  we  were  yet  close  to 
the  ship,  another  whale  was  espied,  to  the  south- 
ward, at  a  very  great  distance.  The  prospect  of 
getting  two  fish  at  a  fall  was  more  than  could  be 
resisted ;  and,  while  w  e  were  killing  our  nsh,  the 


236  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

master  made  sail,  to  come  up  with  the  other.  Wft 
were  successful ;  and,  with  less  difficulty  than 
usual,  killed  the  whale  at  the  edge  of  a  floe  con- 
nected with  the  land,  towards  which  it  had  gone 
for  shelter.  The  whale  was  killed,  and  made  fast 
to  the  floe,  waiting  for  the  return  of  the  ship. 

While  we  were  all  engaged  in  the  chase  and 
capture,  no  one  had  noticed  the  change  in  the  wea- 
ther. From  a  fresh  breeze,  sufficiently  to  the 
eastward  to  enable  the  ship  to  stand  back  towards 
U6,  it-  had  fallen  a  flat  calm — the  sea  lay  stretched 
out  before  us  like  a  dark  shining  glass,  while  an 
ominous  stillness  reigned  through  the  air. 

Andrew,  who  was  line-manager  in  the  boat  to 
which  I  belonged,  was  the  first  to  observe  it,  as  we 
were  assembled  on  the  floe,  busily  engaged  in 
hauling  in  the  lines.  He  said  nothing  ;  but  I  saw 
him  look  up  ;  and,  after  glancing  around  for  some 
moments,  put  his  hand  over  his  brow,  and  gaze 
earnestly  forth  in  the  direction  the  ship  had  gone. 
The  anxious  expression  his  countenance  instantly 
assumed  alarmed  me ;  and  though  he  at  once  re- 
sumed his  task  of  coiling  away  the  lines,  I  saw  that 
all  was  not  right.  I  then  cast  my  eyes  seaward,  to 
see  whereabout  the  ship  was.  I  need  scarcely 
say,  that  I  felt  a  very  natural  alarm,  when  I  dis- 
covered that  she  was  almost  hull  down. 

Andrew  again  looked  up.  The  anxious  expres- 
sion on  his  face  had  in  no  way  diminished  ;  but  he 
was  not  a  man  to  alarm  or  unnerve  his  companions 
by  er.y  unnecessary  exclamation. 

"  Bear  a  hand,  lads,"  he,  at  length,  said.  "  The 
sooner  we  get  in  our  lines,  and  tow  the  fish  along- 
side the  better." 

<:  I  was  thinking  the  same,'  said  old  David. 
"  Arid,  I  say,  the  sooner  the  ship  stands  back,  to 
pick  us  up,  the  better  for  us.  We  couldn't  get  the 


H,S    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       287 

fish  alongside  till  long  after  dark,  if  she  comes  no 
nearer  to  us  ;  and  how  she's  to  do  that,  without  a 
breeze  springs  up,  I  don't  know." 

These  few  remarks  scarcely  interrupted  the  task 
in  hand.  When  it  was  accomplished,  however,  and 
we  had  time  to  look  round  us,  we  all  began  to  con- 
sider more  about  the  difficulty  of  our  position.  I 
must  explain,  that  there  were  two  boats,  with  a 
crew  of  five  men  each  ;  so  that  we  were  ten  iu  ail. 
We  had  with  us  a  few  provisions,  and  a  cooking 
apparatus,  with  our  pea-jackets  to  put  on  while 
waiting  after  our  heating  exercise. 

The  harpooners  and  the  elder  men,  now  began 
to  consult  Avhat  was  best  to  be  done.  David  gave 
it  as  his  opinion,  that  the  other  boats  had  been  led 
a  long  chase  after  a  fish,  and  that  the  ship  had  fol- 
lowed thus  far  to  the  southward,  to  pick  them  up, 
with  the  intention  of  returning  immediately  to  us. 
when  the  calm  so  unexpectedly  came  on. 

"  There's  no  doubt  about  what  has  happened, 
mates  ;  but  I  want  to  know,  what  those,  who  have 
had  experience  in  these  seas,  think  is  about  to  hap- 
pen," said  Andrew.  "There's  something  iu  ihe 
look  of  the  sky  and  sea,  and  the  feel  of  the  air, 
which  makes  me  think  a  change  is  about  to  take 
place.  I,  therefore,  ask.  whether  we  shall  stay  by 
the  fish,  or  leave  her  secured  to  the  floe,  and  get 
aboard  as  fast  as  we  can." 

In  answer  to  this  proposal,  which  was  certainly 
wise,  and  perfectly  justifiable,  several  opinions  were 
given.  Some  were  for  getting  on  board  without 
delay,  others  were  for  towing  the  fish  towards  the 
ship,  and  several  were  for  remaining  by  it  till  the 
ship  should  return ;  though  the  majority  were  for 
going  back  in  the  boats  alone. 

A  more  mighty  power  than  ours  decided  what 
was  to  be  done :  for  while  we  were  still  speaking,  i 


288  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

eudden  gust  of  wind  came  blowing  along  the  edge 
of  the  ice  from  the  northward,  and  throwing  up  the 
sea  in  so  extraordinary  a  manner,  that  had  the  boats 
been  exposed  to  it,  they  could  scarcely  have  lived. 
Then  the  wind  as  suddenly  fell,  and  again  all  was 
calm  as  before. 

"  Now's  your  time,  lads  ;  we  must  get  on  board 
as  quickly  as  we  can,"  shouted  old  David.  While, 
accordingly,  we  were,  with  additional  care,  securing 
the  whale  to  the  floe,  the  sky,  which  was  already 
overclouded,  began  to  send  down  dense  showers  of 
enow,  which  so  obscured  the  atmosphere,  that  the 
sharpest  eyes  among  us  could  no  longer  distinguish 
the  ship.  To  attempt  to  get  on  board  under  these 
circumstances,  would  be  more  dangerous  than  re- 
maining where  we  were,  so  putting  on  our  Flush* 
ing  jackets  we  got  into  the  boats,  and  drew  a  sail 
over  our  shoulders,  to  shelter  ourselves  as  much  as 
possible  from  the  storm. 

The  snow,  which  had  begun  to  fall  in  flakes,  now 
changed  to  a  powder,  so  dense,  that  it  appeared  aa 
if  night  had  already  come  on. 

"  It's  very  dark,  Andrew,"  I  remarked ;  "  what 
can  be  going  to  happen  ?" 

"  Why,  I'll  tell  you,  Peter,"  answered  David,  who 
heard  my  question.  "  There's  going  to  be  a  harder 
gale  of  wind  than  we've  had  since  you  came  on 
board ;  and  if  the  old  ship  don't  stand  up  to  her 
canvass,  and  fetch  us  before  night,  there  are  few 
who  would  wish  to  change  places  with  us,  that's 
all." 

I  did  not  by  any  means  like  this  announcement, 
for  I  felt  this  time  old  David  was  not  joking  with 
me.  However,  our  only  course  was  to  remain  where 
We  were.  If  the  gale  did  come  on,  we  were  safer 
on  the  ice  than  on  the  sea ;  and  if  it  passed  off,  the 
ship  would  not  fail  to  come  and  take  us  on  board. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       289 

In  the  mean  time,  we  were  continually  putting 
our  heads  from  under  our  shelter,  to  cast  anxious 
glances  towards  where  we  supposed  the  ship  to  be, 
and  in  every  other  direction,  to  discover  if  there  was 
any  opening  in  the  thick  cloud  of  snow  which  dropped 
around  us — I  say  dropped,  for  I  never  before  saw 
snow  fall  so  perpendicularly,  and  in  such  minute 
powdery  particles.  The  peculiar  and  oppressive 
gloominess  which  filled  the  air,  made  one  feel  that 
something  unusual  was  approaching,  otherwise  I 
could  scarcely  fancy,  that  in  so  perfect  a  calm  any 
danger  could  be  at  hand. 

For  two  hours  we  sat  cramped  up  in  the  boat, 
and  in  spite  of  our  warm  clothing,  suffering  not  a 
little  from  the  cold,  which  was  greater  than  for 
some  time  past  we  had  experienced.  Suddenly  the 
snow  ceased,  and  with  eager  haste  Andrew,  David, 
and  some  others,  jumped  out  of  the  boat,  and  climbed 
to  the  top  of  the  nearest  hummock,  from  whence 
they  could  get  a  wider  look-out  than  on  the  flat  ice. 

With  feelings  which  it  were  vain  to  attempt  to 
describe,  we  looked  for  the  ship,  and  could  nowhers 
see  her.  To  the  southward  there  was  a  thick  mist, 
caused  by  the  snow  falling  in  that  direction ;  and 
in  this  she  was  probably  shrouded. 

On  looking  to  the  north,  we  perceived  in  the 
horizon  a  bright  luminous  appearance,  something 
like  the  ice-blink,  but  brighter,  and  which  seemed 
to  increase  in  height.  David  looked  at  it  for  an  in- 
stant, and  then  shouted  out,  "  Bear  a  hand,  my  lads, 
and  haul  up  the  boats — the  gale  is  upon  us." 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  rushed  down 
from  the  hummock,  accompanied  by  the  rest  of  us, 
and  we  commenced  hauling  one  of  the  boats  up  on 
the  ice.  While  all  hands  were  engaged  at  this 
work,  and  before  it  was  completety  accomplished, 
down  came  the  gale  upon  us  with  terrific  violence, 
25  Y 


290  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

almost  lifting  us  off  our  legs,  and  hurling  us  into 
the  now  foaming  and  hissing  sea.  The  snow,  which 
now  lay  thick  on  the  ice,  was  lifted  up  and  blown 
in  clouds  over  us — the  ocean,  which  before  lay  so 
tranquil,  was  now  lashed  into  fury. 

"  Haul  away,  my  lads,  and  run  the  boat  up," 
shouted  Andrew,  his  voice  scarcely  heard  amid  the 
tumult.  We  had  taken  out  most  of  the  things  from 
the  other  boat,  and  having  secured  the  first  were 
about  to  haul  her  up,  when  a  heavy  sea  striking  the 
ice,  broke  off  a  piece  to  which  she  was  secured,  and 
carried  her  and  the  harpooner  belonging  to  her, 
who  was  standing  near  her,  far  beyond  our  reach. 
To  have  attempted  to  launch  the  boat,  to  go  to  his 
rescue,  would  have  been  madness.  One  loud,  hope- 
less shriek  was  heard,  and  he  sank  forever. 

We  had  little  time  to  mourn  for  our  poor  mess- 
mate :  our  own  condition  occupied  all  our  thoughts. 
At  the  same  moment  that  the  boat  was  carried 
away,  the  sea  broke  the  whale  from  the  lashings 
which  secured  her  to  the  ice ;  and  without  our  hav- 
ing any  power  to  preserve  our  prize,  it  was  driven 
down  along  the  edge  of  the  floe,  from  which  it  gradu- 
ally floated  away. 

"  What's  to  be  done  now  ?"  I  asked,  with  several 
others,  in  a  voice  of  despair. 

"  Trust  in  God,"  answered  Andrew,  in  a  solemn 
voice.  "  Peter,  remember  we  have  been  in  a  worse 
position  before,  and  he  saved  us.  He  may,  if  he 
Trills  it,  save  us  agatn." 

"  But  how  are  we  ever  to  get  back  to  the  ship, 
with  only  one  boat  to  carry  us  ?"  asked  some  one. 

"  Captain  Kendall  is  not  a  man  likely  to  desert 
his  people,"  observed  David.  "  The  ship  will  corne 
back  and  take  us  off,  when  the  gale  is  over  ;  no  feai 
of  that,  mates." 

Notwithstanding    the    tone  of  confidence    with 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       291 

lie  spoke,  I  suspected  that  he  did  not  feel 
quite  as  much  at  his  ease  as  he  pretended  to  be 
Our  position  was,  indeed,  I  felt,  most  critical ; 
though  I  did  not  express  my  fears.  The  gale  might 
continue  for  days  ;  and  our  ship,  if  she  escaped 
ship-wreck,  which,  too  probably,  would  be  her  lot, 
would  be,  at  all  events,  driven  so  far  to  the  south, 
that  she  would  find  it  utterly  impossible  to  return. 
The  ice,  even,  on  which  we  stood  might  any  instant 
break  up,  from  the  force  of  the  waves  ;  and  if  we 
could  not  retreat  further  back  in  time,  our  destruc- 
tion would  be  almost  certain.  We  had  a  boat,  but 
even  in  smooth  water,  she  could  scarcely  do  more 
than  contain  us  all ;  and  in  such  a  sea  as  was  likely 
to  be  running  for  some  time,  she  could  not  live  ten 
minutes.  We  could  have  no  hope,  therefore,  of  re- 
gaining the  ship  in  her  ;  and  should  we  be  com- 
pelled, therefore,  to  quit  the  ice,  she  could  afford 
us  no  refuge. 

We  had  a  small  quantity  of  provisions  ;  enough, 
with  economy,  to  sustain  life  for  two  or  three  days, 
though  not  more  than  was  intended  to  supply  a 
couple  of  good  meals,  should  we  have  been  kept 
away  from  the  ship  a  sufficient  time  to  require 
them.  We  had  some  boats'  sails,  a  cooking  appa- 
ratus, two  harpoons,  spears,  and  two  fowling-pieces, 
brought  by  the  harpooners  to  kill  a  few  dovekies  for 
our  messes.  Several  things,  with  a  set  of  lines  and 
harpoons,  had  been  lost  in  the  other  boat. 

For  some  time  after  the  fatal  catastrophe  I  have 
described  we  stood  looking  out  seaward,  undecided 
what  steps  to  take.  The  wrenching  asunder  of 
some  huge  masses  of  ice,  which  the  sea  drove  up 
close  to  the  boat,  and  the  violent  heaving  to  which 
the  whole  body  was  subjected,  showed  us  that  we 
must  rouse  ourselves  to  further  exertion.  We  had 
no  need  of  consultation,  to  judge  that  we  must, 


292  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

without  delay,  get  further  away  from  the  sea ;  anJ 
having  laden  our  boat  with  all  our  stores,  we  be- 
gan to  work  her  along  the  ice  towards  the  shore, 
which  lay  bleak  and  frowning  some  ten  miles  or  so 
from  us. 

Our  progress  was  slow,  for  the  ice,  though  thick, 
was  much  rotted,  from  the  heat  of  the  whole  sum- 
mer, and  in  some  places  it  was  very  rough  ;  while 
shallow  pools  of  water  constantly  appeared  in  our 
path,  and  compelled  us  to  make  a  circuit  round 
them.  When  we  had  accomplished  nearly  two 
miles,  it  was  proposed  that  we  should  wait  there, 
to  see  if  any  change  took  place  in  the  weather. 
There  was  no  longer  a  motion  in  the  ice  ;  and  An- 
drew and  David  gave  it  as  their  opinion,  that  there 
was,  consequently,  no  danger  of  its  breaking  up  so 
far  from  the  edge,  and  that  we  might  remain  there 
in  safety.  Night  was  now  fast  approaching  ;  and 
the  gale,  instead  of  abating,  blew  with  greater  fury 
than  at  first. 

The  exertion  had  somewhat  warmed  us  ;  but  the 
moment  we  stopped,  the  cold  wind  whistled  through 
our  clothing,  and  showed  us  that  we  must  prepare 
some  shelter  for  the  night,  if  we  would  avoid  being 
frozen  to  death. 

Another  point  we  also  discovered  was,  that  we 
required  some  one  to  take  the  lead,  and  to  act  as 
chief  officer  among  us.  The  remaining  harpooner 
would,  by  right,  have  taken  command ;  but  though 
expert  in  the  use  of  his  weapon,  he  was  not  a  man 
by  character  or  knowledge,  well  fitted  to  command 
the  respect  of  the  rest  of  us.  This  we  all  felt,  as 
he  probably  did  also,  as  he  raised  no  objection 
when  David  proposed  that  we  should  elect  an  offi- 
cer whom  we  should  bo  bound  to  obey,  till  we  could 
regain  our  ship,  should  we  ever  be  so  fortunate  so 
to  do. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       293 

Three  were  first  proposed,  but  Andrew  Thomp- 
son was  finally  selected  ;  for  though  he  was  known 
not  to  have  so  much  practical  experience  as  several 
of  the  others,  his  firmness,  sagacity,  and  high  moral 
character,  were  acknowledged  by  all. 

"  And  now,  my  lads,"  he  said,  when  he  had  mo- 
destly accepted  the  office,  "  the  first  thing  we  must 
do,  is  to  build  a  snow-wall,  to  shelter  us  from  the 
wind  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  wind  moderates,  we'll  have 
up  a  flag-staff  on  the  top  of  the  highest  hummock, 
to  show  our  friends  where  to  look  for  us." 

According  to  this  advice,  we  set  to  work  to  col- 
lect the  snow,  which  did  not  lie  more  than  three 
inches  thick  on  the  ice.  We  first  made  it  into 
cakes,  about  four  times  the  size  of  an  ordinary 
brick,  and  then  piled  them  up  in  a  semicircular 
form,  the  convex  side  being  turned  to  the  wind: 
Over  the  top  we  spread  a  boat's  sail,  which  was 
kept  down  by  lumps  of  snow  being  placed  on  the 
top  of  it.  The  canvass  was  also  allowed  to  hang 
over  a  couple  of  lances  lashed  together  in  front,  so 
that  we  had  a  very  tolerable  shelter.  The  snow 
was  scraped  away  from  the  interior,  and  such  spars 
and  planks  as  we  could  get  out  of  the  boat,  were 
spread  at  the  bottom,  with  a  sail  over  them,  to 
form  our  bed. 

These  arrangements  were  accomplished  as  the 
long  twilight  turned  into  total  darkness.  We  lay 
down,  and  prepared  to  pass  the  dreary  hours  till 
the  sun  rose  again,  as  best  we  could.  I  thought 
of  the  time  I  had  spent  on  the  iceberg,  and  remem- 
bering Andrew's  words,  I  did  not  despair.  I  slept, 
as  did  my  companions,  many  of  them  with  the  care- 
less indifference  to  danger  which  has  become  the 
characteristic  of  most  British  seamen. 

I  was  awoke  by  the  excessive  cold,  though  w& 
kept  as  close  together  within  our  shelter  as  w« 

Y* 


294  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

could,  for  the  sake  of  the  warmth.  My  companions 
were  still  asleep,  and  I  was  afraid  if  I  moved  of 
arousing  them.  The  storm  still  raged  furiously 
without ;  and  I  could  not  again  compose  myself  to 
sleep  for  the  noise  it  made. 

I  lay  awake,  listening  to  its  whistling  sound,  as 
it  blew  over  the  ice,  when  I  fancied  that  I  heard  a 
low  grumbling  noise,  like  a  person  with  a  gruff 
voice  talking  to  himself.  At  last,  this  idea  grew 
so  strong  on  me,  that  I  crept  quietly  to  the  curtain 
in  front  of  our  hut ;  and  lifting  up  a  corner,  looked 
out.  The  stars  were  shining  forth  from  the  sky, 
and  there  was  a  thin  crescent  moon,  by  the  light  of 
which,  I  saw  a  white  monster  leaning  over  the  gun- 
wale of  our  boat ;  examining,  it  appeared  to  me, 
the  things  in  her.  I  was  not  long  in  recognising  the 
visitor  to  be  a  large  white  shaggy  polar  bear.  He 
first  took  up  one  thing,  and  smelling  it,  and  turn- 
ing it  over  on  every  side,  replaced  it.  When, 
however,  he  came  to  a  piece  of  beef,  or  anything 
eatable,  he,  without  ceremony,  appropriated  it ;  and 
was  thus  rapidly  consuming  our  slender  store  of 
provisions.  "  This  will  never  do,"  I  thought  to  my- 
self. "  If  this  goes  on  we  shall  be  te  a  certainty 
starved." 

We  had  fortunately  brought  the  two  guns  into 
the  hut,  that  they  might  run  no  risk  of  getting 
damp.  They  were  both  loaded  ;  and,  drawing  back, 
I  got  hold  of  one,  hoping  to  shoot  the  bear  before 
he  was  disturbed.  If  I  aroused  my  companions 
first,  they,  to  a  certainty,  would  make  some  noise, 
which  would  probably  frighten  away  our  visitor,  and 
we  should  lose  both  the  bear  and  the  provisions. 

When  I  again  put  my  head  from  under  the  sail, 
he  was  still  at  work.  1  was  on  my  knees,  and  had 
got  the  gun  to  my  shoulder,  when  he  saw  me.  He 
was  fortunately  in  the  other  side  of  the  boat ;  fof 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.         9 

no  sooner  did  his  eye  fall  on  me,  than  he  began 
slowly  to  walk  along  the  side,  holding  on  by  the 
gunwale,  evidently  intending  to  get  close  to  me. 
"My  best  chance  is  to  hit  him  in  the  eyes,"  1 
thought,  "  and  blind  him.  If  he  once  gets  hold  of 
rue,  he'll  give  me  a  squeeze  I  shall  not  like." 

Before  he  had  moved  many  steps  I  fired  full  in 
his  face.  The  report  of  the  gun,  and  the  loud 
growl  of  rage  and  pain  uttered  by  the  brute,  in- 
stantly awakened  my  companions.  They  started 
to  their  feet,  but  had  some  difficulty  to  understand 
what  had  happened.  The  bear,  on  being  wounded, 
nearly  fell  headlong  into  the  boat ;  but,  recovering 
himself,  he  endeavored  to  find  his  way  round  to  the 
spot  where  he  had  seen  me. 

"  A  bear  !  a  bear  !"  I  sung  out.  "  Get  your  lan- 
ces ready  and  run  him  through."  Most  fortu- 
nately, I  had  hit  the  monster  so  directly  in  the 
eyes,  that  he  could  not  see  his  way,  and  this  pre- 
vented him  from  rushing  directly  on  me  ;  for, 
though  I  might  have  leaped  out  of  his  way,  round 
the  back  of  the  hut,  he  would,  in  all  probability, 
have  seized  upon  one  of  my  half-awake  companions. 

This  momentary  delay  gave  time  to  Andrew  to 
epring  to  his  feet,  and  to  draw  out  a  lance  from 
under  the  sail.  He  appeared  at  the  entrance  of 
the  hut  just  as  the  bear,  slightly  recovering  him- 
gelf,  was  rushing  forward,  with  his  mouth  open  and 
covered  with  foam,  and  a  stream,  which  I  could  see, 
even  in  that  light,  trickling  down  his  face.  His 
paws  were  stretched  out,  and,  in  another  instant, 
he  would  have  had  me  in  his  deadly  clutch,  when 
Andrew  dashed  at  him  with  his  spear.  The  bear 
seized  the  handle,  and  endeavored  to  wrench  it  from 
his  assailant ;  but  the  iron  had  entered  his  breast, 
and,  in  his  attempt  to  rush  on,  it  pierced  him  to  the 
heart. 


296  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

The  rest  of  the  party  were,  by  this  time;  awake, 
and  armed  with  whatever  they  could  first  seize  ;  and. 
seeing  what  had  happened,  they  all  set  up  a  shout 
of  triumph,  every  one  of  us  forgetting  entirely,  for 
the  moment,  the  very  precarious  position  in  which 
we  were  placed. 

We  had  several  reasons  to  be  satisfied  with 
having  killed  the  bear.  In  the  first  place,  had  ho 
put  his  snout  into  our  hut  while  we  were  all  asleep, 
he  might  have  killed  some  of  us  ;  secondly,  we 
had  saved  most  of  our  provisions  by  our  discover- 
ing him ;  and  what  he  had  taken  was  amply  sup- 
plied by  the  sustenance  his  flesh  would  afford  us, 
and  the  use  to  which  we  might  turn  his  skin,  for 
bedding  or  clothing,  should  we  have  to  remain  any 
time  on  the  ice. 

"  Our  friend,  there,  has  given  us  a  lesson,  to 
keep  a  better  look-out,  in  future,"  remarked  An- 
drew. "If  it  had  not  been  for  Peter,  he  might 
have  carried  off  every  bit  of  our  food  ;  so  we  must 
take  it  by  turns  to  keep  watch — I'll  stand  the  first." 

"  And  I  the  second,  willingly,"  I  exclaimed. 
"  I've  no  inclination  to  sleep  ;  and,  if  I  did,  I  should 
be  fancying  all  the  time  that  the  bear  had  me  in 
his  grasp." 

So  it  was  arranged  each  man  should  take  an 
hour  at  a  time,  as  near  as  could  be  guessed,  and 
thus  all  would  have  plenty  of  rest,  and  be  fit  for 
work  in  the  daytime. 

Before  the  rest  turned  in  again,  we  drew  the 
carcass  of  the  bear  close  up  to  the  hut ;  so  that, 
if  any  of  his  fellows  should  come  near  him,  they 
might,  to  a  certainty,  be  seen,  and  shot  without  dif- 
ficulty. 

Extraordinary  as  it  may  seem,  the  rest  of  the 
people  were  very  soon  asleep  again.  Andrew  and 
I  were  the  only  two  awake.  The  gun  which  had 


MIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       597 

been  fired  was  reloaded,  and,  having  placed  the  twe 
close  at  hand,  we  sat  down,  just  inside  the  curtain, 
leaving  only  a  small  aperture  on  either  side  of  it, 
through  which  to  look  out.  We  also  placed  a 
couple  of  lances  within  our  reach,  that  should  any 
more  bears  visit  us,  as  we  hoped  they  might,  we 
might  have  a  better  chance  of"  killing  them  ;  for 
their  flesh,  though  rank,  is  not  unwholesome,  and, 
at  all  events,  it  would  enable  us  to  support  life  as 
long  as  it  lasted,  independently  of  the  value  of 
their  skins. 

After  we  had  made  our  preparations,  Andrew 
advised  me  to  lie  down,  and  to  try  to  sleep ;  but  I 
told  him  that  I  was  too  much  excited,  and  that  it 
was  impossible  :  and  that,  if  he  would  allow  me,  I 
would  much  rather  sit  up  and  watch  with  him  ;  or, 
if  he  liked,  I  would  watch  while  he  slept,  and  would 
call  him  if  anything  occurred. 

"  Neither  can  I  sleep,  Peter,"  he  answered. 
"  You,  and  the  rest,  have  chosen  me  to  guide  you, 
and  I  doubly  feel  the  responsibility  of  my  office  ; 
for  I  need  not  tell  you,  that  I  think  our  position 
very  bad.  From  the  first  time  I  saw  you,  I  found 
that  you  were  well  educated  ;  and  I  since  have  had 
reason  to  place  confidence  in  you.  Now,  Peter,  I 
am  afraid  that,  when  we  are  surrounded  with  far 
greater  difficulties  than  we  have  yet  met  with,  some 
of  these  poor  fellows  will  lose  heart,  and  sink  under 
them,  unless  their  spirits  are  kept  up,  and  a  good 
example  is  set  them.  I,  therefore,  rely  upon  you, 
to  assist  me,  by  showing  that,  young  as  you  are, 
you  do  not  shrink  from  danger  ;  and  that  you  place  a 
firm  reliance  on  the  power  of  God  to  deliver  us,  not 
withstanding  all  the  appearances  to  the  contrary." 

I  told  Andrew,  that  I  thanked  him  for  the  con- 
fidence he  placed  in  me,  and  that  I  hoped  I  should 
not  disappoint  his  expectations. 


298  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

"  I  know  you  will  not,  Peter ;  but,  I  tell  you,  thai 
our  courage  will  be  severely  tried,"  he  answered. 

"  Why,  don't  you  think  the  ship  will  be  able  to 
take  us  off?"  I  asked. 

"I  do  not  think  she  will,  Peter,"  he  replied. 
"  Before  the  gale  is  over,  she  will  have  been  driven 
very  far  to  the  south ;  and  it  will  take  her  so  many 
days  to  beat  back,  if  the  wind  should  continue  foul, 
that  Captain  Kendall  will  consider  we  must  have 
perished,  and  that  the  attempt  would  be  useless, 
and  that  he  should  not  be  justified  in  thus  risking 
the  safety  of  his  ship." 

"  What  hope,  then,  have  we  ?"  I  asked. 

"  My  greatest  hope  is,  that  we  may  be  seen  by 
some  other  ship  passing  after  the  gale  has  mode- 
rated," he  answered.  "If  that  fails  us,  we  must 
endeavor  to  pass  the  winter  on  shore.  Others  have 
done  so  before  now ;  and  I  do  not  see  why  we  should 
not  manage  to  live,  as  well  as  the  ignorant  natives 
who  inhabit  this  country." 

•'  If  we  had  powder,  and  shot,  and  fuel,  and  tim- 
ber to  build  a  house  with,  I  should  say  we  might 
do  it,"  I  answered ;  "  but  as  we  have  none  of  these 
things,  I  am  afraid  we  shall  be  frozen  to  death  as 
soon  as  the  cold  sets  in." 

"  The  natives  live  ;  and  we  must  try  to  find  out 
hov  they  contrive  to  do  it,"  was  the  tenor  of  his 
answer. 

Miserable  as  the  night  was,  and  slow  as  the  hours 
seemed  to  drag  along,  they  at  last  passed  away. 
We  had  no  further  visits  from  the  bears,  nor  were 
we  otherwise  disturbed.  When  daylight  came,  there 
was  nothing  in  the  prospect  to  cheer  our  hearts. 
On  one  side  there  was  a  sheet  of  ice  covered  with 
snow,  with  high  rocky  cliffs  beyond  ;  and  on  the 
other  the  wide  expanse  of  ocean,  still  tossing  and 
fanning  with  the  fierce  storm  which  raged  over  it 


BIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      299 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

I  try  to  encourage  my  Companions. — We  cook  our  Breakfast.— 
Set  up  a  Signal. — One  of  the  two  Ships  heaves  in  sight. — The 
Floe  separates. — The  last  Ship  appears,  but  to  the  southward. 
We  cross  the  Channel.— Erect  another  Hut.— Catch  two  Uni- 
corns.— We  travel  on. 

OUR  companions  slept  on,  and  while  they  hap- 
pily were  able  to  forget  the  hardships  and  dangers 
which  were  in  store  for  them,  we  could  not  find  it  in 
our  hearts  to  awake  them.  At  last,  one  after  the 
other,  they  awoke.  As  they  did  so,  they  went  and 
looked  out  at  the  dreary  prospect  I  have  described, 
and  then  returning,  sat  themselves  down  in  gloomy 
silence  in  the  hut. 

On  seeing  the  discontent,  not  to  say  despair, 
which  their  countenances  exhibited,  I  remembered 
the  conversation  I  had  with  Andrew  in  the  night, 
and  determined  at  once  to  try  and  follow  his  advice  ; 
so  I  went  and  sat  down  with  the  rest. 

"  Well,  mates,  things  don't  look  very  pleasant, 
I'll  allow,  but  they  might  be  worse,  you  know,"  I 
remarked. 

"  I  don't  see  how  that  can  be,"  answered  one  of 
the  most  surly  of  the  party.  "  Here  are  we  left  by 
our  ship  without  food  or  a  house,  at  the  beginning 
of  the  winter ;  and  it's  cold  enough,  I've  heard  in 
these  parts,  to  freeze  up  every  drop  of  blood  in  the 
veins  in  ten  minutes." 

"  Andrew  and  Terence,  and  Tom  and  I,  were 
once  much  worse  off,  when  \ve  were  left  on  the  ice- 
berg," I  observed.  "  As  for  food,  too,  we've  got  a 
good  lump  there,  which  came  to  our  door  of  its  own 


500  PETER    THE    WHALFR, 

accord.  We've  every  chance  of  taking  plenty 
more  ;  and  I've  heard  say,  the  country  is  full  of 
game  of  all  sorts  ;  then  as  for  a  house,  we  must 
try  and  build  one,  if  no  ship  comes  to  take  us  off 
Mind,  I  don't  say  that  none  will  come,  only  if  we 
are  left  here,  we  need  not  fancy  that  we  are  going 
to  die  in  consequence." 

"  Faith,  Peter's  the  boy  for  brightening  a  fel- 
low's heart  up,"  exclaimed  Terence,  rousing  himself 
from  the  despondency  which  he,  with  the  rest,  had 
begun  to  feel.  "  Why,  mates,  perhaps,  after  all, 
we  may  have  as  merry  a  winter  of  it  as  if  we  got 
home,  though  they  do  say  the  nights  are  rather 
long  at  that  time." 

Terence's  remark  did  more  good  than  mine. 
There  was  something  inspiriting  in  the  tone  of  hia 
voice ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  all  hands  were  ready 
to  perform  their  best ;  at  all  events,  to  do  what 
Andrew  considered  for  the  public  good.  He  first 
ordered  us  to  have  breakfast,  for  we  had  been  in 
no  humor  to  take  any  supper  the  night  before.  We 
accordingly  brought  in  our  provisions,  and  were 
about  to  commence  on  them,  when  I  suggested  that 
we  should  preserve  them  for  times  of  greater  ne 
cessity,  and  begin,  instead,  upon  the  bear. 

"  But  how  are  we  to  cook  him  ?"  asked  some  one. 
"  We  can't  eat  him  raw,  and  we've  got  no  oil  for  tho 
kitchen." 

The  kitchen  was  the  cooking  apparatus  I  have 
spoken  of.  It  was  simply  an  oil  lamp  with  several 
wicks,  and  a  couple  of  saucepans,  a  kettle,  and  fry 
ing  pan  to  fit  over  it.  The  crude  oil,  drawn  from 
the  last  fish  we  had  killed,  served  for  it. 

"  As  to  that,  lads,  he'll  supply  the  oil  to  cook  him- 
self with,''  remarked  Andrew.  "  Let  us  skin  him 
and  cut  him  up  at  once,  and  then  he'll  be  all  ready 
to  pack,  if  we  want  to  travel  from  this  place." 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.        301 

"We  soon  cut  up  the  bear,  very  clumsily,  I  will 
allow,  for  there  was  no  butcher  among  us  ;  and  col- 
lecting the  fattest  parts,  to  serve  as  fuel  for  our 
lamp,  we  soon  had  some  bear  steaks  frying  away 
under  our  noses.  We  took  a  very  little  of  our  bis- 
cuit in  addition  ;  but  Andrew  advised  us  to  econo- 
mise it  to  the  utmost. 

The  skin  was  taken  off  as  neatly  as  we  could 
manage  the  work ;  and  then,  having  scraped  the 
inside  clean,  we  hung  it  up  in  front  of  our  hut  to 
dry.  We  spent  the  whole  day  anxiously  looking 
out  for  some  sign  of  the  gale  abating,  for  we  knew 
that  every  hour  of  its  continuance  would  send  our 
ship  further  and  further  away  from  us  ;  but  in  the 
evening  it  blew  as  hard  as  it  had  done  at  the  first. 

The  wind  was  too  high,  and  cut  us  too  keenly, 
to  allow  us  to  go  from  under  shelter  of  our  hut  in 
search  of  seals  ;  but  we  were  not  entirely  idle.  In 
the  first  place,  we  drew  the  boat  up  to  it,  and  se- 
cured our  remaining  provisions.  We  also  cut  up 
the  flesh  of  the  bear  into  long  strips,  that  they 
might  more  easily  dry  in  the  air  ;  besides  this,  we 
heightened  the  walls  of  our  habitation,  and  sloped 
them  inward,  so  as  to  enable  the  sail  to  cover  the 
hut  more  completely. 

The  greater  number  of  the  men,  however,  showed 
little  inclination  to  work,  preferring  to  pass  the  day 
sitting  crowded  together  in  the  hut  in  a  sort  of 
dreamy  forgetfulness  of  the  present,  without  speak- 
ing or  moving.  I  own  that  few  positions  could  be 
much  more  disheartening  than  ours  ;  but  I  saw 
the  necessity  of  keeping  the  intellects  awake,  ready 
for  active  exertion,  if  we  would  save  our  lives. 

We  cooked  some  more  bear-steaks  for  supper, 
and  boiled  up  a  little  cocoa,  so  that  for  food  we 
might  have  been  worse  off.  We  found,  also,  that 
the  lamp,  small  as  it  was,  diffused  a  warmth 


302  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

throughout  the  hut,  which  enabled  us  to  pass  the 
night  much  more  agreeably  than  we  had  the  pre- 
vious one. 

The  bears  seemed  to  have  been  aware  of  the  fate 
of  their  brother,  for  none  came  near  us.  Another 
morning  dawned  ;  and  though  the  gale  still  blew 
strong,  it  had  somewhat  abated  ;  but  yet  it  was 
still  necessary  to  keep  under  shelter. 

"  As  soon  as  the  wind  drops  we  must  go  seal- 
ing," remarked  Andrew.  "  If  we  could  get  a  good 
number  of  seals,  or  unies,  or  walrus,  we  might  keep 
our  lamp  burning  all  night  and  day  through  the 
winter  ;  their  flesh  is  not  bad  to  eat,  and  then,  you 
know,  we  can  make  boots,  and  caps,  and  jackets  of 
their  skins.  We  must  look  out  to  get  them  before 
the  cold  sets  in." 

"  Then  you  think  we  shall  have  to  winter  here?" 
I  asked. 

"  If  the  gale  had  taken  off  yesterday,  I  should 
have  expected  our  ship  back  ;  but  now  I  do  not 
think  she  will  attempt  it,"  he  answered  positively. 
We  were  standing  outside  the  hut,  some  way  from 
the  rest.  "  However,  two  ships  were  left  in  Pond's 
Bay  when  we  came  away,  and  they  may  see  us  as 
they  pass,  or  we  may  pull  off  to  them,  if  the  sea 
goes  down.  Peter,  we  should  be  thankful  that 
things  are  no  worse.  Cold  and  inhospitable  as  is 
this  country,  we  have  the  means  of  existing  in  it, 
if  we  have  sense  to  employ  them.  Even  now  the 
wind  has  dropped,  and  the  sea  has  gone  down.  It 
will  be  as  well  to  get  our  signal-post  up,  in  case 
either  of  the  ships  should  pass." 

I  agreed  with  him  ;  and  calling  Terence  to  accom- 
pany us,  we  told  the  rest  that  we  were  going  to  the 
edge  of  the  ice,  to  see  how  things  were,  and  to  set 
up  a  signal. 

Our  flag-staff  consisted  of  a  spar,  with  a  lance 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       303 

handle  as  a  topmast ;  and  the  flag  was  the  jack  used 
in  the  boat,  to  show  that  a  fish  was  fast.  We  took, 
also,  some  line,  to  serve  as  shrouds  for  the  staff. 
We  three  set  off,  then,  not  without  some  difficulty 
in  advancing,  for  the  wind  was  still  so  strong  that 
we  were  almost  taken  off  our  legs. 

The  distance,  however,  was  not  so  great  as  we 
expected,  for  the  sea  had  broken  off  the  edge  of  the 
ice  for  full  half  a  mile  ;  some  of  the  pieces  had 
been  washed  away,  and  others  had  been  hurled  far 
up  on  the  surface,  so  as  to  form  a  high  and  rugged 
wall.  We  had  taken  the  precaution  of  bringing 
two  hatchets  with  us  ;  and  having  selected  the 
highest  hummock  near  the  sea,  we  chopped  the  sum 
mit  of  it  perfectly  level.  We  then  cut  out  blocks 
of  ice,  and  piled  them  up,  till  we  had  built  a  pyra- 
mid some  ten  feet  high.  We  left  places  on  which 
we  could  stand,  to  enable  us  to  do  this.  We  then 
planted  our  staff  in  the  centre  ;  and  secured  the 
shrouds  to  some  large  blocks  of  ice  we  had  dragged 
up  for  the  purpose. 

We  thus  formed  a  very  conspicuous  mark  ;  but 
we  felt  that  it  was  too  probable  the  ship  might  not 
pass  near  enough  to  see  it.  For  some  minutes  we 
contemplated  our  work,  and  then  prepared  to  return 
to  our  companions.  Just  then  Terence  happened 
to  turn  his  eyes  to  the  north-east.  He  stopped, 
and  looked  eagerly  out.  "  A  sail,  a  sail  !"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  she's  coming  down  right  before  the 
wind." 

"  It's  the  only  way  she  could  come,  mate,"  said 
Andrew,  not  in  the  least  way  excited  by  the  an- 
nouncement. "  But  are  you  sure  you  see  a  sail  1 
Don't  you  think  it  may  be  the  wing  of  a  sea-fowl  ?" 

"'Tis  too  steady  for  that,"  answered  Terence 
u  If  we  get  to  the  top  of  the  flag-staff  hummock  in 
another  minute  or  so  we  shall  know  to  a  certainty." 


804  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

In  spite  of  the  cutting  cold  wind,  to  \\hich  we 
were  exposed,  we  stood  for  several  minutes  eagerly 
watching  the  white  spot  which  Terence  asserted 
was  a  sail. 

I  asked  if  it  might  not  be  an  iceberg  ;  but  An- 
drew said,  an  iceberg  never  travelled  fast  before 
the  wind  ;  because,  although  a  great  deal  of  it  was 
exposed  above  the  water,  there  was  a  much  larger 
proportion  below,  on  which,  of  course,  the  wind  had 
no  influence  ;  and  he  wound  up  his  observation  by 
pronouncing  the  spot  to  be  the  topsail  of  a  ship. 

"  Huzza,  then,  mates,  we  shall  get  off  this  time ;" 
shouted  Terence,  who  had  no  wish  to  winter  in  the 
Arctic  regions. 

"  We  must  not  be  too  sure  of  that ;"  answered 
Andrew.  "  Lot  me  ask  you,  even  if  we  are  sure, 
how  are  we  to  get  off,  with  the  sea  there  breaking 
on  this  sheet  of  ice  ?  We  must  not  let  our  hopes 
blind  us  to  the  truth." 

"  You  are  always  croaking,  Andrew ;  "  said 
Terence,  in  a  vexed  tone.  He  was,  like  many 
another  man,  without  much  hope,  and  who,  the 
smaller  it  grows,  is  the  more  inclined  to  be  angry 
with  the  person  whose  plain-speaking  tends  still 
further  to  decrease  it. 

On  came  the  ship,  scudding  at  a  great  rate  before 
the  gale,  right  down  along  the  edge  of  the  floe.  She 
seemed,  as  well  as  we  could  then  judge,  to  be  about 
three  miles  off.  We  were  obliged  to  descend,  and 
to  run  about,  to  keep  ourselves  warm  ;  but  every 
instant  one  of  us  was  climbing  to  the  top  of  the 
hummock  to  watch  the  progress  of  the  stranger. 
She  was  drawing  near,  when  some  of  our  compan- 
ions discovered  her,  and  we  now  saw  them  come 
Hurrying  along  over  the  ice  towards  us,  forgetting 
everything  in  the  expectation  of  being  able  to 
escape  from  our  perilous  situation. 


Hia  EARLY  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURE*.     305 

By  the  time  they  reached  us,  she  was  just  abreast 
of  us,  running  under  her  foretop-sail,  at  headlong 
§peed  before  the  wind.  How  anxiously  we  .watched 
her,  expecting  her  every  instant  to  heave  to,  but  she 
glided  onward,  unconscious  of  the  agony  and  despair 
she  was  creating  in  our  hearts.  We  waved  our 
hats  ;  we  pointed  to  our  signal-staff  ;  we  leaped  up 
on  the  hummock  ;  we  .even,  in  the  extravagance  cf 
our  eagerness,  shouted  out  at  the  top  of  our  voices, 
as  if  sounds  so  faint  could  reach  her.  But  all  we 
could  do  was  vain.  On  she  passed,  in  her  course, 
as  if  we  were  not  in  existence. 

"  Fire  our  guns,"  said  Andrew  ;  "  they  might 
possibly  be  heard."  But  in  their  hurry,  our  com- 
panions had  left  the  guns  at  the  hut. 

All  hope  of  making  ourselves  seen  or  heard  was 
now  abandoned  ;  the  ship  flew  by.  and  soon  her  hull 
sunk  below  the  horizon.  Some  of  the  men,  on  this, 
gave  way  to  impious  exclamations  of  discontent ;  but 
Andrew  checked  them.  "  It  is  God's  will  that  we 
remain  here,  mates,"  he  said.  "  How  do  we  know 
but  that  it  is  for  our  benefit  that  we  are  left  where 
we  are.  That  ship,  which  we  are  now  so  anxious 
to  be  on  board,  may,  before  the  night,  be  crushed 
beneath  an  iceberg,  or,  perhaps,  dashed  to  pieces  on 
the  rocks  in  sight  of  home  ;  while  we  may  yet  be 
destined  to  see  again  our  country  and  our  families. 
Believe  me,  mates,  all  is  for  the  best  ;  and  though 
we  don't  see  the  way  we  are  to  escape,  it  may  now 
be  ready  for  us." 

The  tone  of  religious  confidence  in  which  An- 
drew spoke  contributed  much  to  revive  the  spirits 
of  our  companions.  The  gale  was  also  rapidly  de- 
creasing, and  hopes  were,  therefore,  expressed, 
that,  should  the  last  ship  appear,  the  boat  might 
be  able  to  reach  her,  even  though  she  might  be  too 
far  off  to  see  our  signal.  However,  day  drew  on, 
z"  26 


306  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

and  no  ship  appeared.  The  returning  darkness 
warned  us,  that  we  must  get  back  to  our  hut  with- 
out delay ;  or  not  only  might  we  not  be  able  to 
find  it,  but  it  might  be  visited  by  our  friends,  the 
bears,  and  our  remaining  provisions  might  be  de- 
stroyed. We  accordingly  hurried  back,  and  were 
only  just  in  time  to  prevent  the  latter  catastrophe  ; 
for,  as  we  got  to  the  hut,  we  observed  three  large 
objects  moving  over  the  snow,  towards  the  land. 
They  were,  no  doubt,  bears,  who,  when  they  saw 
us  running  up,  had  been  frightened  away  from  the 
food,  to  which  their  keen  scent  had  attracted  them. 
I  rushed  into  the  hut  for  a  gun,  intending  to  make 
chase  after  them  ;  but  Andrew  told  me  to  desist, 
as  I  should  not  have  the  slightest  chance  of  killing 
one,  and  that  they  might  possibly  turn  upon  me 
and  destroy  me. 

The  third  night  we  spent  in  our  hut  was  much 
colder  than  the  former  ones,  though  there  was  less 
wind.  One  of  us,  by  turns,  kept  watch,  as  before. 
I  was  asleep,  and  it  was  Terence's  watch  ;  when  I 
was  awoke  by  a  loud  noise,  like  thunder,  and  a 
shout  from  him,  which  made  all  the  party  start  on 
their  feet.  The  noise  continued.  It  too  much  re- 
minded us  of  that  we  had  heard,  when  the  ice,  in 
which  we  had  been  beset  in  our  passage  through 
Baffin's  bay,  had  begun  to  break  up. 

"  What's  the  matter  now  ?"  exclaimed  several 
voices, 

"  The  floe  must  be  separating  ;  and  we  are,  per- 
haps, going  to  be  drifted  away  from  the  shore," 
remarked  old  David.  "  But  never  mind,  mates,  we 
can't  be  much  worse  off  than  we  were ;  and  a  short 
cruise  won't  do  us  any  harm." 

"  How  can  we  tell  that  the  floe  will  not  break  up 
into  small  pieces,  or.  perhaps,  drift  out,  and  join 
the  middle  ice  T  I  inquired.  I  thought  such  a 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       307 

thing  might  possibly  occur,  and  I  wished  to  secure 
our  retreat  on  shore. 

"  There  is  little  doubt  that  the  floe  is  separating," 
said  Andrew.  "  But,  at  all  events  we  can  do  no- 
thing while  it  remains  dark.  As  soon  as  daylight 
appears,  we  must  decide,  without  loss  of  time, 
n-hat  is  to  be  done." 

The  noise  continued  for  a  considerable  time — 
then  all  was  silent ;  and  I  supposed  that  the  piece 
we  were  on  had  already  begun  to  drift  away  from 
the  main  body  of  the  ice.  I  fancied,  even,  that  I 
could  feel  a  peculiar  undulating  movement,  as  if  it 
was  acted  upon  by  the  waves.  As  soon  as  morn- 
ing dawned,  we  eagerly  looked  out.  At  first,  there 
appeared  to  be  no  change ;  but,  as  the  light  increas- 
ed, we  found  that,  between  us  and  the  main  ice, 
there  was  a  wide  passage  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
mile. 

The  floe  we  were  on  was  about  a  mile  across,  in 
the  narrowest  part,  and  two  or  three  miles  long.  It 
seemed,  while  we  watched  the  land,  to  be  advancing 
towards  the  northward  and  eastward.  Our  flag- 
staff was  on  the  same  piece,  and  was  not  disturbed. 
But  another  object  met  our  sight,  which  engaged 
all  our  attention.  It  was  a  sail,  to  the  southward. 
With  what  deep  anxiety  we  watched  her,  I  need 
scarcely  say. 

"Which  way  is  she  heading?"  was  the  general 
cry. 

"  To  the  southward,"  exclaimed  old  David.  "  She'll 
not  come  near  us,  depend  on  that,  mates  |  so  we  need 
not  look  after  her.  She  must  have  slipped  by  in  the 
night  or  in  the  grey  of  the  morning,  or  we  should 
have  seen  har." 

"  But  don't  you  think  she  may  be  the  Shetland 
Maid,  come  to  look  for  us  ?"  I  asked.  "  Who  is  cer- 


508  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

tain  that  she  is  standing  away  from  us,  for  1  am 
not  ?" 

One  or  two  sided  with  me ;  but  the  others  were 
of  opinion  that  the  stranger  was  standing  from  us. 

Meantime  the  floe  drifted  out  to  sea.  There  was 
no  immediate  danger,  and  we  might  have  remained 
as  secure  as  we  were  before,  provided  it  did  not 
come  in  contact  with  any  other  floe,  which,  had  it 
done,  it  would  probably  have  broken  into  fragments, 
and  we  should  have  forthwith  perished.  All  hands 
were  too  busy  watching  the  ship  to  think  much  on 
this  subject.  We  watched,  but  we  watched  in  vain. 

If  she  was  our  own  ship,  Captain  Kendall  must 
have  fancied  that  he  had  come  as  far  north  as 
he  had  left  us ;  and  seeing  the  ice  broken  and 
changed,  and  floes  drifting  about,  he  must  have 
thought  we  had  perished.  At  all  events,  after  an 
hour's  earnest  watching  the  most  sanguine  were 
compelled  to  acknowledge,  that  the  topsails  were 
gradually  again  sinking  in  the  horizon ;  and  before 
long  they  were  out  of  sight,  and  all  hope  of  escaping 
that  year  was  at  an  end. 

By  this  time  we  had  been,  as  it  were,  somewhat 
broken  in  to  expect  disappointments,  so  no  one  ex- 
pressed their  feelings  so  strongly  as  on  the  former 
occasion.  We  were  also  obliged  to  think  of  means 
for  securing  our  present  safety.  Two  things  were 
to  be  considered.  If  we  remained  on  the  floe,  should 
it  break  up,  we  raust  be  destroyed  ;  besides  this,  we 
could  procure  no  food  nor  fuel. 

After  Andrew  had  heard  all  of  us  express  our 
opinions,  he  resolved  to  quit  the  floe,  and  retreat  to 
the  main  ice.  "  We'll  stay  on  the  edge  of  it  for  one 
day  or  two  if  you  wish  it,  and  we'll  keep  a  bright 
.ook-out  for  a  ship ;  but  it's  my  opinion  that  the 
last  has  passed,  and  that  w?  had  better  make  up 
out  minds  to  winter  on  shore  The  sooner  we  begia 


MIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       oU9 

our  preparations,  the  better  chince  we  have  of 
weathering  out  the  time. 

This  plan  being  agreed  to,  two  hands  were  sent 
to  unstep  the  flag-staff,  and  bring  it  forward ;  while 
the  rest  of  us  dismantled  our  hut,  and  dragged  the 
boat  to  the  edge  of  the  floe  nearest  the  shore.  It 
was  time  that  we  should  be  off,  for  the  channel  had 
aiready  widened  to  half  a  mile  ;  though  the  water 
was  perfectly  smooth,  the  boat,  with  all  our  party 
and  our  stores,  had  as  much  in  her  as  she  could  con- 
veniently carry. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  served  to  carry  us  across, 
when  we  again  hauled  our  boat  up  ;  and  choosing 
the  highest  hummock  in  the  neighborhood,  we  again 
erected  our  flag-staff.  Before,  nowever,  we  began 
to  build  a  hut,  we  examined  the  condition  of  the  ice 
round  us,  to  ascertain  whether  there  was  a  proba- 
bility of  another  floe  breaking  away  with  us.  On 
finding  it,  according  to  the  opinion  of  the  old  hands, 
perfectly  secure,  we  put  up  a  tent  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  the  last,  though  of  rather  a  larger  size.  This 
done,  we  cooked  and  eat  the  first  food  we  had  tasted 
that  day,  for  we  had  been  too  busy  all  the  morning 
to  think  of  eating. 

Andrew  then  urged  us  to  make  diligent  search 
for  any  of  the  oil-giving  fish  which  we  could  catch. 
Accordingly,  armed  with  our  harpoons  and  lances, 
we  set  out,  leaving  one  hand  to  guard  the  boat,  and 
to  keep  a  look  out  for  a  passing  sail. 

We  first  kept  along  the  edge  of  the  ice ;  but 
meeting  with  no  success,  we  turned  towards  the 
land  to  look  for  any  pools  which  might  exist  in  the 
ice.  After  looking  c  bout  for  some  time,  we  came 
to  one  nearly  the  eighth  of  a  mile  across.  In  it 
were  a  shoal  of  narwhals,  or  sea-unicorns,  every 
now  and  then  rising  above  the  water  to  breathe,  and 
then  diving  down  again  in  search  of  prey.  Could 


310  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

we  have  brought  the  boat  so  far,  we  should  have 
had  no  difficulty  in  killing  them,  but  now  it  depend- 
ed how  near  they  would  rise  to  the  edge.  It  was 
tantalising  to  watch  them,  and  not  to  be  able  to  get 
hold  of  any. 

We  divided  into  three  parties,  for  we  had  a-s 
many  harpoons  ;  and  at  last  one  rose  within  reach 
of  David's  weapon.  He  launched  it  forth,  ar4 
struck  the  fish  in  the  neck.  Down  it  dived  rapid- 
ly ;  but  it  soon  had  to  return  to  the  surface,  where 
we  hauled  it  towards  the  edge,  and  dispatched  it 
quickly  with  our  lances,  after  which  we  hauled  it  up 
on  the  ice.  In  the  same  manner  another  was  after- 
wards killed.  These  were  indeed  prizes,  for  though 
not  so  valuable  as  the  seals,  their  flesh  and  oil  were 
most  welcome. 

We  found  that  they  were  too  heavy  to  drag  over 
the  ice  whole,  so  we  cut  off  the  blubber  and  some 
meat,  and  left  the  kral  for  the  benefit  of  the  bears. 
The  horns  would,  under  other  circumstances,  have 
been  valuable  ;  but  we  could  not  afford  to  burden 
ourselves  with  more  than  what  was  absolutely  ne- 
cessary. 

We  at  last  got  back  to  the  hut  with  our  prize  ; 
and  the  hand,  who  was  left  to  watch,  reported  that 
no  sail  had  appeared.  WTe  had  now  an  abundance 
of  oil,  so  that  we  were  able  to  dress  the  flesh  of  the 
bear  in  it,  as  also  to  keep  up  a  light  in  the  hut  all 
uight  long.  The  next  day,  if  the  Shetland  Maid  did 
not  return,  and  if  no  other  ship  appeared,  we  wer« 
to  form  our  plan  for  future  operations.  All  that 
day  the  look-out  hummock  was  occupied  by  one  of 
our  party,  with  his  eyes  anxi  .usly  looking  seaward  ; 
but  hour  after  hour  passed  away,  and  no  sail  ap- 
peared. 

What  a  sinking  at  the  heart — what  a  blank,  deso- 
late feeling  came  over  us,  as  Mir  ?ast  hope  vanished 


HIS    E4RLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      311 

Hitherto  we  had  been  buoyed  up  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  relief — now  the  most  sanguine  felt  that  the 
last  whaler  had  departed  for  the  season. 

It  was  my  turn  to  look  out,  just  before  it  grew 
dark.  The  floe,  on  which  we  had  floated  for  so 
long,  had  now  drifted  a  considerable  distance  off. 
and  had  broken  into  three  almost  circular  pieces. 
As  I  watched,  it  was  met  by  several  other  floes  of 
equal  magnitude,  which  were  revolving,  some  in 
one  direction,  some  in  another,  without  any  appa- 
rent cause.  Then  began  a  most  furious  contest  be- 
tween them  ;  hurled  together,  they  overlapped  and 
crushed  on  each  other  till,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
minutes,  they  had  broken  into  a  thousand  frag- 
ments. I  was,  indeed,  thankful  that  we  had  not- 
remained  on  the  floe,  in  the  hopes  of  being  seen 
by  a  ship. 

Darkness  coming  on,  and  it  being  impossible  any 
longer  to  distinguish  objects  at  a  distance.  I  return- 
ed to  the  hut.  I  found  my  companions  sitting 
round  our  kitchen  in  the  hut,  and  discussing  plans 
for  the  future.  Some  were  still  anxious  to  get  on 
to  the  southward  in  the  boat,  in  the  hopes  of  over- 
taking some  whaler,  which  might  have  stopped  to 
fish  ;  but  Andrew  strongly  urged  them  at  once  to 
abandon  all  hopes  of  escaping  that  year,  and,  at 
once,  while  they  had  health  and  strength,  and  the 
weather  remained  moderate,  to  make  preparations 
for  the  winter.  He  showed  the  extreme  improba- 
bility of  our  overtaking  ships,  which  must  have  been 
driven  very  far  to  the  south  by  the  gale,  as  also  the 
danger  of  being  swamped,  should  the  slightest  sea 
get  up  ;  while,  should  we  not  succeed  in  our  at- 
tempt, we  should  be  worn  out,  and,  incapable  of 
providing  for  the  future,  must  inevitably  be  de- 
stroyed. 

I  voted  with  Andrew,  and  also  spoke  in  favor  of 


312  PETZ.R    THE    WHALER, 

his  plan  ;  showing,  from  what  I  had  read  and  heard, 
that,  notwithstanding  the  cold,  with  good  manage- 
ment we  might  preserve  our  lives  and  our  health 
throughout  an  arctic  winter.  At  last  this  plan  was 
agreed  to  by  all,  and  we  lay  down  once  more  to  sleep 
away  the  time  till  daylight. 

We  were  up  by  dawn  ;  and  having  laden  our 
boat  with  all  our  stores,  we  commenced  our  toilsome 
journey.  Our  purpose  was  to  make  the  land,  and 
then  to  travel  along  over  the  ice  till  we  should 
arrive  at  some  valley,  or  at  the  mouth  of  a  river., 
where  we  might  hope  to  find  some  clear  water 
«nd  opportunities  of  catching  fish. 

Though  the  land  appeared  quite  near,  it  was  late 
in  the  day  before  we  reached  it.  What,  then,  was 
.mr  disappointment,  to  find  not  even  a  beach  on 
A'hich  to  build  our  hut  for  the  night.  The  high 
olack  cliff  came  completely  down  to  the  sea,  and  was 
fringed  by  masses  of  ice  piled  up  against  it,  so  that 
we  could  not  even  reach  it  without  difficulty  and 
danger.  Our  only  course,  therefore,  was  to  con 
tinue  along  under  it,  till  we  should  meet  with  the 
opening  of  which  we  were  in  search. 

I  ought  to  have  said  that  we  had  protected  the 
keel  and  bilge  of  our  boat  by  securing  some  spars 
along  them,  so  that  she  was  able  to  pass  over  the 
ice  without  damage  ;  but  the  labor  of  dragging  her 
was  very  great,  and  some  even  proposed  leaving 
her  behind,  rather  than  have  the  trouble  of  convey- 
ing her,  till  Andrew  reminded  them  that  on  her 
luight  depend  our  only  means  of  procuring  food,  and 
of  ultimately  escaping  next  year. 

We  performed  a  distance  of  nearly  three  miles 
along  the  shore,  under  the  same  lofty  unbroken 
cliffs  ;  and  then  Andrew  called  a  halt,  and  we 
made  our  usual  preparations  for  passing  the  night. 


HI3    KARLT    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      318 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

tXur  Journey  continued. — A  Wreck  discovered. — We  find  Trea- 
sures on  board. — Look  out  for  a  Spot  to  land. — Find  a  Bay. 
— ifix  on  a  Spot,  and  build  a  Hut.— Go  back  to  the  Ship,  to 
fetch  more  Stores. — Find  Visitors  on  board  the  Ship. — More 
Bear's  Flesh.— Return  to  the  Bay. 

FOR  three  days  we  tvav-sRed  on  ;  and  supposing 
that  we  advanced  ten  miles  a  day,  for  thirty  milea 
not  a  break  of  any  description  appeared  in  the 
overhanging  cliffs  on  our  right.  The  men  had  be- 
gun to  grumble  ;  and  those  who  had  wished  to  pro- 
ceed in  the  boat,  by  water,  asserted,  that,  if  their 
advice  had  been  followed,  we  should  have  made 
greater  progress  with  less  fatigue. 

Andrew  told  them,  in  answer,  that,  if  they  would 
but  keep  up  their  spirits  and  persevere  for  one  day 
longer,  we  should,  in  all  probability,  come  to  some 
opening,  where  we  might  get  on  shore,  and  near 
which,  if  the  sea  was  smooth,  we  might  launch  the 
boat,  and  try  to  get  some  more  fish.  This  encou- 
raged them  ;  and  the  following  morning,  with  re- 
newed spirits,  we  continued  on  our  way. 

As  the  day  drew  on,  there  appeared  but  little 
chance  of  Andrew's  promise  being  fulfilled ;  for, 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was  the  same  unbroken 
line  of  cliff.  It  was  drawing  towards  sunset,  when 
I  caught  sight  of  what  appeared  to  me  a  ship, 
thrown  on  her  beam  ends,  close  under  the  cliff. 
The  rest  laughed  at  me  ;  and,  telling  me  I  must  be 
deceived,  asked  me  how  a  ship  could  get  there. 

I  answered,  I  was  certain  that  I  was  not  mis- 
taken ;  and  pointed  out  to  them  the  object  I  had 
Been.  It  appeared  to  me,  when  I  first  saw  it,  as  in 
27  2  A 


814  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

a  sort  of  'shallow  cavern,  under  the  cliff;  but,  bo- 
fore  we  could  make  any  progress  towards  it,  the 
shades  of  evening  completely  obscured  it ;  and, 
long  before  we  could  reach  it,  we  were  obliged  to 
encamp. 

We  talked  a  good  deal  about  it,  as  we  sat  round 
our  lamp,  in  our  usual  ice  cottage  ;  and  I  dreamed 
all  night,  that  a  strange  ship  had  appeared,  and 
that  we  were  to  go  on  board  in  the  morning. 

When  the  morning  did  really  come,  I  eagerly 
looked  out  for  the  first  rays  of  light  falling  on  the 
object  I  had  seen.  It  was  now  more  clear  than 
ever.  I  first  pointed  it  out  to  Andrew. 

"  Well,  if  that  is  not  a  real  ship,  those  are  very 
extraordinary  marks  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff,"  he 
observed.  "  Peter,  I  believe  you  are  right.  It  is  a 
ship ;  and  it  may  prove  the  means  of  our  preser- 
vation." 

Without  waiting  for  any  meal,  though  Andrew 
insisted  on  the  boat  being  dragged  with  us,  we  ad- 
vanced towards  the  supposed  ship.  David  certain- 
ly did  not  believe  she  was  one.  "  If  that's  a  ship," 
he  remarked,  "  I  don't  see  how  the  natives  would 
have  spared  her.  They  would  have  been  swarming 
about  her  like  bees,  and  would  have  pulled  her  all 
to  pieces  long  before  this." 

"  I  still  say  she's  a  ship,  and  that  we  shall  see 
before  long,"  1  answered. 

It  is  extraordinary  how  the  imagination  helps 
out  the  vision  in  a  case  of  this  sort.  I  believed 
that  there  was  a  ship,  so  I  saw  her  ;  another  man 
did  not  believe  that  there  was  a  ship  there,  so  could 
uot  perceive  her. 

We  travelled  on  for  three  hours,  before  all  doubts 
•were  set  at  rest,  by  the  appearance  of  a  large 
ship,  thrown,  a?  I  said,  on  her  beam  ends  ;  but  with 
her  masts  and  ngging  still  standing.  An  overhang- 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       315 

mg  cliff  projected  to  the  south  of  her,  and  within  it 
was  the  cavern  in  which  she  lay  ;  so  that  she  could 
only  be  seen  from  the  point  from  which  we  had  ad- 
vanced towards  her. 

This  providential  circumstance  instantly  raised 
our  spirits  ;  and  we  could  not  help  giving  a  loud 
shout  of  joy,  as  we  hurried  on  to  get  on  board 
her.  Even  should  we  find  no  provisions,  we  could 
not  fail  of  obtaining  numberless  things  which  would 
prove  of  the  greatest  value  to  us. 

As  we  got  near  her,  her  condition  at  once  told, 
that  she  had  been  lost  amongst  the  ice  ;  and,  pro- 
bably, thrown  up  on  to  a  floe  by  another  striking 
her,  she  had  drifted  afterwards  into  her  present 
position.  For  some  minutes  we  stood  round  her, 
examining  her  with  a  feeling  approaching  to  awe. 
She  looked  so  shattered  and  weather-worn,  and  of 
a  build  so  unusual,  that  I  fancied  she  might  have 
been  there  frozen  up  for  centuries. 

At  last  Terence  clambered  up  her  sides,  followed 
by  all  of  us.  Her  decks  were  uninjured,  and  were 
thickly  covered  with  snow,  which  had  contributed,  I 
suppose,  to  preserve  them.  Her  masts  and  lower 
rigging  were  standing,  though  the  topmasts  had 
gone  over  the  side.  David  pronounced  her  to  be  a 
Dutch  whaler  ;  and  such,  I  believe,  she  was.  Her 
hatches  were  on.  and  even  the  companion  hatch  was 
drawn  over,  which  made  us  think,  that  the  crew  had 
remained  on  board  till  she  was  driven  into  her  pre- 
sent position,  and  had  afterwards  quitted  her,  with 
the  intention  of  returning. 

This  opinion  was  confirmed  when  we  went  below 
We  found  the  cabin  in  good  order,  and  the  furni- 
ture uninjured,  for  the  water  had  not  reached  it. 
On  going  into  the  hold  we  discovered  an  abundant 
supply  of  provisions  in  casks  ;  but  all  her  tubs  were 
empty,  which  showed  us  that  she  had  been  wrecked 


316  PETER    THE    WHALER. 

on  her  outward  voyage,  before  having  taken  a  fish 
Her  boats,  also,  were  gone,  which  showed  the  way 
in  which  her  crew  had  escaped  from  her.  When  1 
first  went  below,  I  half  expected  to  find  all  her  peo- 
ple frozen  to  death,  as  I  had  heard  of  such  dreadful 
occurrences  having  taken  place. 

Several  books  and  papers  were  found  in  the  ca- 
bin ;  but  as  none  of  us  could  read  Dutch,  we  were 
unable  to  learn  anything  from  them  :  but  Andrew 
and  David  were  of  opinion  that  she  had  been  there 
five  years  at  least,  perhaps  longer. 

Having  taken  a  cursory  glance  throughout  the 
ship,  our  appetites  reminded  us  that  we  had  eaten 
nothing  that  morning,  so  we  set  to  work  to  examine 
the  condition  of  the  stores  on  board.  The  meat  in 
the  casks  was  perfectly  good,  and  so,  even,  was  tho 
biscuit  and  flour,  which  had  been  preserved.  I  con- 
clude, by  the  cold  from  the  weevils  and  the  rats. 
The  only  animals  which  had  visited  the  ship  were 
the  bears.  They  had  not  failed  to  scent  out  the 
good  things  she  contained  ;  bat  not  having  been 
clever  enough  to  lift  the  hatches  off.  they  had,  fortu- 
nately for  us,  been  unable  to  appropriate  them. 

We  were  not  long  in  knocking  the  head  out  of  a 
cask,  and  in  collecting  materials  to  form  an  .abun- 
dant meal,  which  we  had  not  enjoyed  for  so  many 
days.  The  cook's  caboose  was  still  uninjured  on 
deck,  and  his  pots  and  kettles  were  hung  up  inside 
it,  with  a  store  of  coals  and  wood  readv  chopped  up. 
We  accordingly  lighted  a  fire  ;  and  two  of  the  men, 
who  professed  to  be  the  best  cooks,  prepared  our 
breakfast. 

In  the  cabin  we  found,  in  jars  and  canisters,  ft 
profuse  store  of  tea,  coffee,  cocoa,  sugar,  and  several 
sorts  of  preserved  fruits  and  sweetmeats  ;  indeed, 
there  was  an  ample  supply  of  everything  we  could 
require.  The  cabin  was,  of  course,  very  nuch  on 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      317 

one  side,  and,  moreover,  very  chilly ;  but,  for  the 
pleasure  of  sitting  at  a  table,  we  carried  our  meal 
down  there  to  eat  it. 

Andrew  took  care  not  to  let  the  opportunity  pass 
by  of  reminding  us  that  our  heartfelt  gratitude 
was  due  to  the  Great  Being  who  had  so  mercifully 
guided  our  steps  to  this  spot,  where,  without  trouble 
or  risk,  we  might  provide  ourselves  with  the  neces- 
saries of  life. 

After  breakfast  I  saw  some  of  the  men  hunting 
busily  about  the  ship  ;  and  from  their  look  of  dis- 
may, when,  getting  hold  of  a  brandy  cask,  they 
found  the  contents  had  run  out,  I  guessed  that  their 
object  was  to  enjoy  themselves  for  a  short  time 
by  drinking  ;  and  I  am  afraid  that  many  of  our 
party  would  not  have  refrained  from  doing  so  to 
excess. 

I  told  Andrew,  who  was  still  in  the  cabin,  examin- 
ing the  lockers,  what  I  had  remarked. 

"  Never  mind,"  he  answered.  "  All  the  glass 
bottles,  containing  spirits  or  liquid  of  any  sort,  have 
also  burst  with  the  cold,  so  that  there  is  no  fear  of 
any  of  them  getting  drunk.  There  are  a  few  stone 
bottles,  with  hollands  ;  and  as  they  were  only  partly 
filled,  they  seem  to  have  something  left  in  them,  so 
I  will  hide  them  away,  in  case  they  should  ever 
be  required." 

We  had  just  concealed  them  in  a  locker  in  the 
captain's  state-room,  as  his  sleeping  cabin  is  called, 
when  some  of  the  rest  returned,  grumbling  very 
much  at  having  found  nothing  to  drink.  Andrew 
reproved  them  mildly  for  their  discontent,  when  we 
had  been  thus  led  so  mercifully  to  the  means  of 
preserving  our  lives. 

"  If  you  had  discovered  any  liqucr,  you  might 
have  mnde  merry  at  first,"  he  observed ;  "  then  you 
would  have  become  worse  than  the  brutes,  without 

3A 


#18  PETER    THE    WHALEK, 

sense  ;  and,  lastly,  you  would  have  been  left  with 
out  strength  or  energy  to  bear  the  difficulties  we 
shall  have  to  encounter.  Let  me  tell  you,  lads,  the 
liquor  you  are  so  fond  of  only  gives  you  false 
strength  just  for  a  short  time  after  you  have  drunk 
it,  and  then  leaves  you  much  weaker  than  at  first. 
To  my  mind,  people  in  this  climate  are  very  much 
better  without  spirits ;  and  in  any  other  climate, 
for  that  matter.  There  are  times,  when  a  person 
is  almost  frozen  or  overcome  with  weakness,  when 
they  may  be  of  use  ;  but,  in  most  cases,  we  are 
better  without  them."  Andrew's  reasoning  had 
some  effect  on  his  hearers,  particularly  when  they 
found  themselves  forced  to  follow  his  advice  whether 
they  would  or  not. 

We  now  all  assembled  together  in  the  cabin,  to 
decide  on  what  we  should  do.  Some  were  for  re- 
maining on  board,  and  making  ourselves  as  com- 
fortable as  we  could ;  but  Andrew  at  once  pointed 
out  the  madness  of  such  a  proceeding.  He  argued, 
that  even  in  summer  the  position  under  the  cliff 
was  excessively  cold ;  that  the  ship  was  in  no  way 
fitted  to  serve  as  a  habitation  during  the  winter ; 
when  there  were  days  no  person  could  be  exposed 
for  ten  minutes  together  to  the  air  without  suffer- 
ing ;  and  that,  although  there  was  an  abundant  sup- 
ply of  salt  provisions,  unless  we  could  procure  some 
fresh  meat,  our  health  would  materially  suffer. 

"  My  advice  mates,  is,"  he  continued,  "  that  we 
travel  along  the  coast  as  we  first  intended,  till  we 
arrive  at  the  sort  of  place  we  were  in  search  of 
when  we  fell  in  with  this  wreck.  When  we  have 
found  it,  we  will  at  once  build  a  warm  house,  and 
then  set  to  at  hunting  and  fishing,  till  the  animals 
desert  the  country,  and  the  sea  is  frozen  over,  and 
the  long  winter  nights  set  in.  We  will,  however, 
first  build  some  sledges,  such  as  the  natives  use ; 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       319 

and  we  will  carry  on  them  all  the  things  we  require 
from  the  ship  to  our  station.  If  any  one  has  a  bet- 
ter plan  to  offer,  let  him  propose  it." 

"  I  think  Andrew's  plan  is  the  one  to  follow  ;  and 
I  propose  we  set  about  it  without  delay !"  I  ex- 
claimed. 

"  And  so  do  I,"  said  Terence. 

"  And  I  don't  see  that  it's  a  bad  one,"  observed 
David. 

"  And  I  think  it  a  good  one,"  said  Tom  Stokes. 

The  rest  offered  no  opposition  ;  indeed,  they  did 
not  know  what  else  to  propose.  I  must  observe, 
that  now  when  we  had  nothing  to  do  with  whaling, 
in  which  the  others  had  more  experience,  Andrew 
fully  showed  his  superiority  and  fitness  to  com- 
mand, so  that  we  all  readily  obeyed  him  whenever 
he  thought  fit  to  issue  any  orders.  However,  as  he 
felt  that  he  only  held  his  authority  on  sufferance, 
he  judged  it  best,  as  in  the  present  instance,  to  con- 
sult all  hands  before  the  formation  of  any  fresh  plan 
of  proceeding. 

The  whole  day  was  spent  on  board  in  examining 
the  ship,  and  in  forming  our  plans,  and  in  making 
some  of  the  preliminary  arrangements.  The  first 
of  them  was,  to  build  a  couple  of  sledges,  which 
Andrew  showed  us  how  to  do,  very  similar  to  those 
used  by  the  Esquimaux.  We  also  packed  up  some 
tea,  cocoa,  and  sugar  ;  as  also  some  meat  and  bread, 
to  serve  us  for  present  use,  till  we  could  bring  up 
the  remainder  to  our  winter  station. 

Among  other  valuable  articles,  were  some  car- 
penter's tools,  and  two  fowling  pieces,  some  canis- 
ters of  powder,  with  a  supply  of  shot,  thus  giving 
us  the  means  of  killing  any  game  we  might  meet 
with.  It  was,  as  I  said,  very  cold ;  but  as  there 
was  a  stove  in  the  cabin,  we  lighted  it,  and  soon 
got  the  cabin  comfortably  warm.  Probably,  had  we 


820  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

been,  left  to  our  own  devices,  we  should  have  all  gone 
to  sleep,  without  keeping  any  watch  ;  but  Andrew 
ordered  one  of  us  to  keep  watch  by  turns,  through- 
out the  night,  both  to  supply  the  stove  with  fuel, 
and  to  guard  against  fire.  Had  it  not  been  for  this 
precaution,  we  might  have  slept  away  some  of  the 
valuable  hours  of  daylight. 

As  soon  as  we  had  breakfasted,  Andrew  gave 
the  signal  for  us  to  start ;  some  wanted  to  leave 
the  boat  till  we  had  found  the  spot  we  were  in 
search  of,  but  he  insisted  on  its  being  brougb*, 
along ;  showing  that  we  must  have  her  at  our  sta- 
tion, both  to  enable  us  to  catch  fish,  and  to  assist 
us  in  escaping  on  the  following  summer  ;  and  that 
as  she  was  laden,  and  prepared  for  the  journey,  it 
would  be  wise  to  bring  her  at  once. 

We  could  only  drag  one  sledge  with  us,  and  on 
that  were  placed  a  few  additional  stores.  Having 
closed  the  hatches,  we  once  more  left  the  ship.  We 
travelled  on  the  whole  of  that  day,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  next,  without  meeting  with  a  fit  place  to 
fix  on  for  our  winter  station.  Some  of  the  grumb- 
lers declared  that  we  never  should  find  it,  and  that 
we  had  much  better  go  back  to  the  ship. 

The  prospect  was  certainly  very  discouraging, 
and  even  Andrew  was  beginning  to  think  that  there 
was  no  help  for  it  but  to  return,  when  on  reaching 
a  high,  black,  rocky  point,  we  saw  a  bay  spreading 
far  back,  and  surrounded  by  hills  of  only  moderate 
height,  from  which  the  snow  had  melted,  leaving 
exposed  a  variety  of  grasses  and  lichens,  which 
clothed  their  sides.  I  shouted  with  joy,  on  seeing 
this,  to  us  cheering  prospect.  To  people  under  dif- 
ferent circumstances,  the  view  might  have  appeared 
bleak  and  gloomy  enough. 

On  getting  round  the  point,  we  larded  on  firm 
grcund,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  our  ship : 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      321 

and  strange  as  it  may  seem,  I  felt  as  if  half  our 
difficulties  and  dangers  were  over.  On  climbing  up 
the  nearest  hill,  we  saw  that  a  stream,  or  rather  a 
river,  ran  into  the  centre  of  the  bay,  and  that  from 
its  mouth  to  the  sea  there  was  a  clear  channel. 
Nothing  could  have  been  more  in  accordance  with 
our  wishes.  We  might  here  be  able  to  supply  our- 
selves with  fish,  and  from  the  appearance  of  the 
country,  there  would  probably  be  an  abundance  of 
game. 

We  continued  along  the  ice,  till  we  saw,  a  little 
above  the  beach,  a  level  spot  on  the  side  of  the  hill, 
well  sheltered  from  the  north.  Andrew  pointed  it 
out.  "  There,  my  lads,  is  the  place  where  we  must 
build  our  house,  and  we  must  make  up  our  minds 
to  live  in  it  for  the  next  ten  months,  or  so,  at  least," 
he  observed.  "  We  will  therefore  make  it  as  com- 
fortable as  we  can,  for  we  shall  not  be  able  to  shift 
our  quarters  when  once  the  frost  sets  in,  let  ma 
tell  you." 

We  proceeded  up  to  the  place  he  indicated,  ana 
under  it  we  hauled  up  our  boat  on  the  beach.  On  a 
further  examination  of  the  spot,  we  resolved  to 
establish  ourselves  there ;  and  immediately  set  to 
work  to  erect  a  habitation,  which  might  serve  us 
till  our  winter-house  was  ready.  For  this  purpose, 
we  collected  some  large  stones,  which  had  been 
washed  down  from  the  neighboring  cliffs,  and  rolled 
them  up  the  hill.  With  these  as  a  foundation,  with 
the  addition  of  earth,  and  small  stones,  and  turf, 
we,  in  the  course  of  a  couple  of  hours,  had  raised  a 
wall,  very  much  in  form  like  those  we  had  been  ac- 
customed to  form  of  snow.  Our  sail  served  as  a 
roof;  and  in  an  excursion  made  by  some  of  the  party 
a  short  distance  among  the  hills,  a  quantity  of  a  low 
shrubby  plant  was  discovered  admirably  suited  for 
a  matress,  till  we  could  get  bedding  from  the  ship. 


322  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

Andrew  assured  us,  that  we  had  every  reason  ta 
be  thankful  that  our  position  was  so  good ;  and  so 
I  think  we  had,  for  it  most  certainly  might  have 
been  very  much  worse  ;  but  those  who  stay  at  home 
at  ease,  by  their  warm  firesides,  would  not  consider 
a  residence  in  a  hut,  on  the  side  of  a  bleak  hill, 
throughout  a  winter,  within  the  Arctic  circle,  as  a 
position  much  to  be  envied.  Everything,  we  must 
remember,  is  by  comparison ;  and  I  again  repeat, 
we  had  good  reason  to  be  grateful. 

The  first  thing,  the  next  morning,  off  we  all 
started  with  the  sledge,  to  commence  the  work  of 
bringing  the  things  from  the  wreck.  The  distance 
was  twelve  miles,  so  that  we  could,  at  the  utmost, 
only  take  one  trip  in  the  day.  We  were  all  in  good 
spirits,  for  we  hud  slept  soundly,  and  had  enjoyed 
a  good  meal ;  but  before  long,  some  of  the  men  began 
to  grumble  at  the  distance. 

"  I  don't  see  why  we  couldn't  have  chosen  some 
place  nearer  the  wreck  to  build  our  house,"  said 
one. 

"It's  a  pity  the  ship  were'nt  driven  ashore 
nearer  the  bay,"  cried  another. 

"  Now,  for  my  part,  I'd  rather  let  the  things  re- 
main where  they  are,  than  have  to  bring  them  all 
this  way,"  exclaimed  the  worst  grumbler  of  the 
party. 

"  Or,  as  I  said  before,  we'd  better  by  half  take 
up  our  quarters  on  board,"  put  in  one  of  those  who 
had  advocated  that  measure  at  first. 

"  Now,  let  me  tell  you,  that  you  are  an  ungrate- 
ful set  of  fellows,  to  talk  as  you  do,"  exclaimed  An- 
drew, who  had  listened  to  all  that  was  said.  "  Yoa 
saw  yourselves  that  there  was  not  a  spot  of  ground 
nearer  than  the  place  we  have  chosen  fit  to  wintei 
in  ;  and  as  to  complaining  that  the  ship  is  no  nearer 
the  bay  why,  if  she  had  been  driven  into  any  other 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      323 

spot  than  the  exact  one  where  she  is,  she  would 
have  been  seen  by  the  Esquimaux,  and  plundered 
of  everything  she  contains.  You'll  soon  find  the 
want  of  everything  we  can  get  from  the  wreck ; 
and  if  any  one  chooses  to  winter  aboard  her,  we'll 
leave  him  plenty  to  eat,  but  if  he  is'nt  frozen  to 
death,  we  shall  have  him  back  with  us  before  very 
long,  that  I  know." 

Most  of  the  party  sided  with  Andrew  on  this,  as 
on  other  occasions,  and  the  grumblers  were  silenced. 
As  we  were  perfectly  unincumbered,  we  advanced 
at  a  rapid  rate,  and  in  about  three  hours  we  got  up 
to  the  ship.  We  scrambled  up  the  sides  by  the 
chain-plates,  and  were  all  soon  on  deck. 

"  Hillo,  who  left  the  companion-hatch  open  ?" 
exclaimed  Terence,  who  was  the  first  who  got  aft. 
No  one  recollected  who  could  have  been  guilty  of 
the  neglect.  "  No  matter,  there's  no  chance  of  any 
one  having  been  here  while  we  were  away,"  cried 
Terence,  as  he  jumped  down  the  companion-ladder. 

He  had  not  got  down  many  steps,  before  he 
sprung  up  again  in  a  great  hurry  with  a  face  of 
terror,  his  head  shoving  back  the  next  man  who  was 
following  him,  and  sending  him  sprawling  on  deck, 
while  a  loud  angry  growl  was  heard  issuing  from 
the  cabin. 

"  Och,  murder  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  There's  Davy 
Jones  aboard,  as  sure  as  my  name's  Terence  O'Con- 
nor." 

"Shut-to  the  hatch  there,"  shouted  David  to 
some  one  of  us  who  were  standing  abaft  the  com- 
panion. We  drew  it  over  just  in  time  to  prevent  a 
white  head,  and  a  pair  of  sharp  claws,  covered  with 
shaggy  hair,  from  protruding  out  of  the  hatchway. 
At  the  same  moment,  David,  who  had  a  lance  in 
his  hand,  thrust  it  down,  and  again  a  fierce  snarling 
growl  was  heard. 


324  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

"  Why,  mates,  we  seem  to  have  caught  a  bear," 
observed  AndreAV,  who  had  come  aft  to  see  what 
had  happened. 

"  We  may  have  caught  a  dozen,  for  what  I  know,'1 
answered  David.  "  And  provided  they  haven't 
eaten  up  the  flour,  and  sugar,  and  beef  we  left  here, 
the  more  there  are  the  better." 

While  he  was  speaking,  he  was  pronging  away 
with  his  spear  down  the  companion-hatch,  and  the 
growling  grew  louder  and  fiercer. 

The  bear  was  now  severely  wounded  and  enraged 
to  the  utmost ;  for  in  spite  of  the  enemies  he  might 
have  guessed  were  ready  to  receive  him,  he  tried  to 
force  his  way  up.  "  Hand  a  gun  here,  and  we'll 
see  if  we  can't  settle  him,"  cried  David  ;  but  the 
guns  had  been  left  leaning  against  a  block  of  ice 
outside  the  ship,  and  before  we  could  recover  them, 
the  bear  had  made  another  attempt  to  get  out  of 
the  trap.  Evading  the  points  of  the  lance,  he  had 
seized  the  handle  in  his  teeth  ;  and  then  climbing 
up  the  ladder,  he  forced  the  top  of  the  hatch  off  with 
his  head,  and  seemed  about  to  take  the  deck  from 
us.  Andrew,  however,  had  got  another  lance  ;  and 
just  as  his  terrific  claws  were  close  to  David's 
shoulder,  he  gave  him  a  severe  wound  in  the  neck. 
At  the  same  moment  I  ran  up  with  a  gun,  and  fir- 
ing into  his  mouth,  he  fell  dead  across  the  hatch- 
way. 

That  he  was  not  alone,  we  were  convinced  by  the 
appearance  of  another  shaggy  monster,  who  now 
shoved  his  head  up  to  see  what  his  companion  was 
about.  As  he  showed  his  head  from  under  the  dead 
body,  and  opened  his  mouth  to  growl,  David  plung- 
ed his  lance  into  it  with  such  force,  that  he  fell 
mortally  wounded  down  the  ladder,  carrying  the 
weapon  with  him.  We  had  some  work  to  drag  the 
dead  bear  out  of  the  way,  he  was  so  heavy  a  fellow 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       325 

"  Are  there  any  more  of  them  ?"  cried  Terence, 
who  discovering  that  they  were  mortal  foes,  had 
completely  recovered  from  his  fright.  He  spoke  as 
he  was  peering  into  the  cabin,  and  about  to  spring 
down  the  ladder.  "  Och,  yes,  here  comes  another." 

And,  sure  enough  a  third  bear  appeared  at  the 
door- way,  with  a  look  which  seemed  to  ask  what  we 
wanted  there.  As  he  was  too  sagacious  to  como 
within  reach  of  our  spears,  and  our  remaining  gun 
was  loaded  only  with  small  shot,  we  scarcely  knew 
how  to  despatch  him.  It  would  have  been  very 
dangerous  to  descend  the  ladder,  for  one  pat  of  hia 
paw  was  sufficient  to  tear  any  man's  arm  off,  so  we 
had  to  enrage  him,  by  shaking  our  lances  in  his 
face,  and  then  pretending  to  run  away  to  induce 
him  to  follow  us. 

At  last  we  succeeded  almost  too  well,  for  with  a 
speed  of  which  I  did  not  think  a  bear  capable,  he 
clambered  up  the  ladder,  and  was  making  for  the 
side  of  the  ship,  with  the  sensible  intention  of  es- 
caping, when  we  closed  in  upon  him,  and  caused  him 
to  stand  at  bay.  He  looked  at  us  savagely,  sin- 
gling out  one  of  us  to  attack,  and  then  rushed  upon 
David ;  but  the  old  whaler's  lance  was  ready,  and 
the  bear  received  a  mortal  thrust  in  his  breast. 
Notwithstanding  this,  he  rushed  forward  grinning 
savagely ;  but  David  sprung  out  of  his  way,  and 
another  lance  pierced  him  to  the  heart. 

We  had  thus  secured  some  very  valuable  prizes, 
and  we  even  hoped  there  might  be  more  of  them 
below,  provided  they  had  not  eaten  up  the  stores, 
on  which  we  counted.  No  one  liked  to  be  the  first 
to  go  down,  till  we  had  ascertained  whether  the 
cabin  had  any  more  occupants.  At  last  none  ap- 
pearing, Terence,  with  cautious  steps,  descended 
the  ladder,  ready  to  spring  up  again,  should  ano- 
ther bear  show  his  face.  Stepping  over  the  carcass 
2  B 


826  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

of  the  bear,  which  lay  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  h« 
looked  in.  Presently  he  shouted  to  us  to  follow, 
and  we  all  quickly  descended,  anxious  to  see  what 
damage  the  bears  had  committed. 

Fortunately,  all  our  stores  had  been  returned  to 
the  lockers  ;  and  they  had  broken  open  only  one, 
and  had  got  hold  of  a  jar  of  brown  sugar,  and  ano- 
ther of  flour,  which,  in  their  clumsy  endeavors  to 
eat,  they  had  sprinkled  about  the  cabin.  We  cal- 
culated from  this  that  they  had  not  been  there  long, 
for  if  they  had,  they  would  have  routed  out  every 
thing  eatable  they  possibly  could  get  at  on  board. 

As  it  was,  our 'carelessness  had  been  productive 
of  more  good  than  harm  ;  for  the  skins  of  the  beasts 
would  make  us  some  warm  clothing,  while  their 
flesh  would  afford  us  food  for  a  long  time,  if  we 
could  get  no  other  fresh  meat. 

Our  first  care  was  now  to  construct  a  number 
of  hand  sledges,  for  the  conveyance  of  our  stores  to 
our  winter  quarters.  The  small  ones  were  made  so 
that  one  person  could  drag  them  over  the  smooth 
parts  of  the  ice  ;  and  on  having  to  pass  any  rough 
portions,  two  or  three  persons  might  tackle  together, 
passing  one  sledge  after  the  other. 

To  carry  the  work-wood  for  our  house,  we  were 
obliged  to  form  a  large  sledge,  which  would  require 
nearly  all  the  party  to  drag  it  forward.  Taking 
care  to  close  all  the  hatches,  we  loaded  our  sledges 
with  provisions,  blankets,  and  some  additional 
cbthing,  and  set  forward  on  our  return  to  the  bay 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTl  RES.       827 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

fisited  ty  Esquimaux. — We  become  very  friendly. — Terence 
acts  as  Master  of  the  Ceremonies. — We  begin  our  Winter 
House. — The  Esquimaux  come  with  Sledges  to  assist  us. — 
Transport  our  Goods  from  the  Ship. — Honesty  of  the  Esqui- 
maux. 

WE  travelled  briskly  along  over  the  ice ;  our 
encounter  with  the  bears  affording  us  abundant 
matter  for  amusement.  I  forgot  to  say,  that  not 
having  time  to  flay  them,  we  had  shoved  them  down 
the  main  hatchway,  to  wait  till  the  next  day.  Now 
and  then,  one  or  other  of  the  sledges,  not  carefully 
constructed,  would  come  to  pieces,  and  we  had  to 
wait  while  it  was  being  repaired;  otherwise  we  got 
on  very  well,  and,  I  suspect,  faster  than  if  we  had 
not  had  them  to  drag  after  us.  At  length  our  jour- 
ney was  almost  accomplished,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
we  expected  to  arrive  at  what  we  already  had  begun 
to  call  our  home  ;  it  was,  indeed,  the  only  home  we 
were  likely  to  have  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

We  had  rounded  the  rocky  point,  and  were  drag- 
ging our  sledges  towards  our  hut,  when,  what  was 
our  surprise  to  see  a  group  of  human  beings,  clothed 
from  head  to  foot  in  skins,  standing  round  it, 
examining  it  apparently  with  much  curiosity.  On 
seeing  us  they  drew  up  in  a  line,  and  advanced 
slowly  towards  us  down  the  hill.  They  numbered 
twice  as  many  as  we  did  ;  and  as  they  had  arms  in 
their  hands,  Andrew  ordered  us  to  stop,  to  see  what 
they  would  do. 

"  Show  them  that  we  wish  to  be  friends,  lads,  and 
place  your  lances  and  the  guns  on  the  ground," 
said  Andraw. 


828  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

We  did  as  he  directed  ;  and  instantly  the  Esqui- 
maux, for  such  we  saw  they  were,  threw  aside  theii 
spears  and  knives,  and  cried  out  "  Timay  Tima  .'" 
and  advanced  with  outstretched  arms  towards  us. 

We  uttered  the  same  words,  and  advanced  also, 
We  soon  saw,  by  the  expression  of  their  counte- 
nances, that  they  were  amicably  disposed  towards 
us  ;  and  from  their  manner  of  behaving,  we  sus- 
pected that  we  were  not  the  first  Europeans  they 
nad  met. 

They  all  appeared  comfortably  clothed.  The 
men  wore  deer-skin  jackets,  with  hoods  to  them,  to 
be  drawn  over  the  head  ;  their  trowsers  were  gene- 
rally of  seal-skin,  made  to  reach  below  the  knee, 
and  their  boots  were  of  the  same  substance,  with 
the  hair  inside  ;  some  of  them  had  shoes  over  their 
boots,  and  an  under  jacket  of  deer-skin.  The  dress 
of  the  women  was  very  similar,  except  that  their 
jackets  had  long  flaps  behind,  reaching  almost  to 
the  ground,  and  were  pointed  in  front.  There  were 
several  children,  who  kept  in  the  background,  and 
they  were  all  dressed  exactly  like  the  older  ones  ; 
and  funny  little  beings  they  were,  reminding  one 
forcibly  of  hedge-hogs,  or  rather  of  little  bears  and 
dancing  dogs. 

They  advanced  slowly  in  a  line,  as  we  walked 
forward  ;  but,  when  we  had  got  near  enough  to  see 
each  other's  faces,  they  stopped.  Whatever  sign  we 
made,  they  instantly  imitated  ;  and  there  was  a 
merry  good-natured  expression  in  their  counte- 
nances, which  gave  us  great  confidence  in  the 
friendliness  of  their  disposition.  Seeing  this,  we 
walked  forward,  and  put  out  our  hands  ;  they  did 
the  same  ;  and  presently  there  was  as  warm  a 
shaking  of  hands  between  us,  as  if  we  were  the 
oldest  friends  each  other  had  in  the  world. 

This  ceremoi  y  being  over,  they  accompanied  us 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       329 

to  the  hut,  which  we  examined  with  some  little 
anxiety,  to  see  if  they  had  taken  anything  away ; 
but  nothing  was  disturbed.  The  few  things,  also, 
which  had  heen  left  in  the  boat  had  not  been 
touched. 

"  You  are  honest  fellows,  that  you  are,"  exclaim- 
ed Terence,  shaking  them  all  round  again  by  the 
hand,  at  which  they  seemed  mightily  pleased.  We 
talked  away  at  them,  and  they  talked  to  us,  for 
some  time,  making  all  sorts  of  signs  and  gestures  ; 
but,  at  the  end  of  it  all,  we  were  not  much  the 
wiser  ;  for  neither  of  us  could  understand  a  word 
each  other  said. 

However,  we  did  not  want  them  clustering  round 
us  while  we  were  unpacking  our  sledges,  and  we 
were  in  a  hurry  to  stow  our  things  away  before 
night ;  so  Terence  undertook  to  draw  them  off.  He 
managed  it  by  taking  one  by  the  hand,  and  making 
him  sit  down  at  a  little  distance,  and  seating  him- 
self beside  him  ;  then,  making  a  sign  to  the  first  to 
sit  quiet,  he  led  another  to  the  spot,  and  so  on,  till 
all  were  seated.  They  then  remained  very  quiet, 
looking  on  with  an  expression  of  the  greatest  sur- 
prise at  the  various  things  we  produced.  It  wiis 
almost  sunset  when  they  got  up  ;  and,  again  shaking 
hands,  took  their  departure  over  the  hills.  By  this 
we  supposed  that  their  habitations  were  at  no  great 
distance. 

The  next  morning  we  were  up  by  daybreak,  to 
return  to  the  ship  ;  and,  as  we  did  not  think  it  wise 
to  leave  our  property  without  a  guard,  Terence  and 
Tom  were  selected  to  remain,  with  two  of  the  guns, 
to  shoot  any  game  which  might  appear,  or  to  defend 
themselves  if  necessary.  The  ship  had  not  been 
visited ;  and  having  laden  our  large  sledge  with 
gome  wood  froni  the  wreck  for  buikling  the  hoa«e, 

3B  28 


830  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

and  two  small  ones  with  provisions,  we  set  forward 
on  our  return. 

Terence  reported,  that  the  Esquimaux  had  again 
visited  the  hut,  and  had  invited  him  and  Tom,  by 
signs,  to  accompany  them  over  the  hills ;  but  that, 
on  his  shaking  his  head,  and  sitting  still,  they  had 
understood  that  he  could  not  leave  his  post,  and 
they  went  away. 

As  soon  as  we  had  taken  some  food,  Andrew 
urged  us  to  set  about  building  our  winter  house 
without  delay,  lest  the  severe  frost  should  come  on 
before  it  was  finished.  The  plan  he  proposed,  and 
which  was  adopted,  was,  to  divide  it  into  two  compart- 
ments, one  for  a  store-house,  the  other  for  our  dwel- 
ling and  cooking-room.  The  latter  was  fifteen  feet 
square,  and  eight  feet  high,  with  a  sloping  roof,  and 
a  hole,  with  a  trap  in  the  top,  to  let  out  the  air,  and 
to  serve  for  a  chimney.  All  this  would  require  a 
great  deal  of  wood,  besides  the  turf  and  stones,  with 
which  we  also  proposed  to  build  it.  We  had  no 
means  of  forming  windows ;  but,  as  we  had  heard 
it  was  always  night  during  the  winter,  we  thought 
we  should  not  want  them. 

The  next  morning  we  were  off  again  for  more 
wood,  as  well  as  some  bears'  flesh,  and  some  of  the 
other  provisions.  Terence,  who  managed  so  well 
with  the  natives  remained  as  before;  and  he  re- 
ported, that  they  had  come,  and  seemed  much  sur- 
prised with  the  work  we  had  performed  ;  that  they 
had  examined  the  tracks  of  the  sledges,  and  the  ad- 
ditional stores,  and  then,  after  a  great  deal  of  talk- 
ing, had  returned  from  whence  they  came. 

The  following  morning  we  were  disturbed  by  a 
loud  noise  of  dogs  barking,  and  men  shouting ;  and 
on  looking  out  of  our  tents,  we  saw  our  Esquimaux 
friends,  looming  through  the  twilight,  each  of  them 
fcccompani?d  by  a  troop  of  seven  dogs,  harnessed  to 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTI'RES.        331 

n  sledge,  formed  of  the  jaw-bone  of  a  whale  and  seal- 
skins. They  came  close  up  to  us,  talking  very  rapid- 
ly, and  pointing  in  the  direction  in  which  the  ship 
lay. 

When  we  prepared  to  start  on  our  daily  expedi- 
tion, they  showed  their  evident  intention  of  accom- 
panying us.  David  and  some  of  the  other  men  did 
not  like  this  ;  and  were  afraid  that  if  they  saw  the 
ship,  they  might  appropriate  everything  on  board ; 
but  Andrew  assured  us  that  he  was  certain  they  had 
no  such  intention,  and  that  their  purpose  was  to  as- 
sist us ;  otherwise,  as  they  might  easily  have  tracked 
us  along  the  ice,  they  would  have  set  off  by  them- 
selves. 

The  Esquimaux  laughed  very  much  when  they 
saw  us  trudging  along  with  our  clumsy  heavy 
sledges,  and  calling  their  dogs  to  stop,  with  a  Wo 
Wo-hoa,  just  as  a  carter  does  in  England ;  they 
beckoned  each  of  us  to  get  on  to  a  sledge  behind 
each  of  them,  and  placing  our  sledges  on  theirs, 
away  we  drove  ;  off  went  the  dogs  at  full  gallop, 
they  guiding  them  with  their  whips  and  their  voices, 
along  the  smoother  portions  of  the  ice.  It  was 
amusing,  and  very  exhilarating,  to  feel  one's  self 
whirled  along  at  so  rapid  a  rate,  after  being  so  long 
accustomed  to  the  slow  movements  of  our  own  weary 
feet;  and  our  spirits  and  courage  rose  accordingly. 

The  sledges  were  between  eight  and  ten  feet  long, 
and  about  two  wide.  The  runners  of  some  were  of 
the  jaw-bones  of  a  whale,  and  of  others,  of  several 
bones  lashed  together.  To  prevent  the  wearing  out 
of  the  runner,  it  is  coated  with  fresh-water  ice,  com- 
posed of  snow  and  ice,  rubbed  and  pressed  over  it, 
till  it  is  quite  smooth  and  hard. 

The  dogs  are  harnessed  with  thongs  of  seal  skin, 
passed  over  the  neck  and  fore  legs,  and  leading 
»long  the  back.  Great  care  is  taken  to  select 


332  PETEI*    THE    WHALER, 

a  good  leader,  who  goes  ahead  with  a  longtr  trace 
than  the  rest,  and  in  the  darkest  night,  by  keep- 
ing his  nose  to  the  ground,  can  always  find  out 
the  right  track.  The  driver  uses  a  whip  with 
a  lash  many  feet  in  length,  but  he  guides  his  team 
more  by  words  than  blows  ;  and  it  is  amusing 
when  the  leader  hears  his  own  name  called,  to  see 
him  looking  round  tc  listen  for  his  master's  orders. 

As  we  drove  along,  I  bethought  me  I  should  like 
to  learn  the  name  of  my  companion — so  I  pointed 
to  myself,  and  pronounced  my  own  name  several 
times.  "  Peter,  Peter,  yes,  I  Peter  ;"  and  then  I 
touched  him,  and  nodded  for  him  to  speak. 

He  quickly  understood  me,  and  uttered  the  word 
Ickmallick,  and  when  I  repeated  it,  he  seemed 
much  pleased.  After  this,  whenever  I  touched 
anything,  he  always  mentioned  the  name,  and  so 
did  I,  and  in  that  way,  in  the  course  of  our  drive, 
•we  had  both  of  us  learned  something  of  each  other's 
language. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  ship,  they  appeared 
very  much  astonished  ;  and  we  could  only  account 
for  their  not  having  seen  her,  by  supposing  that 
they  had  come  from  inland,  or  from  the  south,  and 
that  their  fishing  excursions  never  took  them  in 
this  direction.  Their  astonishment  was  much  in- 
creased, when  they  clambered  on  board,  and  de- 
scended into  the  cabin ;  and  they  seemed  almost 
afraid  to  touch  the  numberless  strange  things  they 
saw.  A  looking-glass  was  hanging  up,  and  by 
chance,  one  catching  sight  of  his  face  in  it,  he  was 
rivetted  to  the  spot — then  he  began  to  move  slowly, 
*nd  to  make  grimaces,  which  he  continued  to  do, 
increasing  the  rapidity  of  his  movements,  till  he 
broke  into  shouts  and  shrieks  of  laughter,  till  most 
of  his  companions  assembling  around  him,  they  be 
eame  convulsed  in  the  same  extraordinary  mauner. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      333 

As  we  had  no  time  to  lose,  we  covered  up  the 
class,  which  quieted  them,  after  which  we  led  them 
into  the  hold,  when  no  sooner  did  they  see  the  dead 
bears,  than  they  rushed  up  to  them,  and  began  ex- 
amining them  minutely,  to  see  how  they  bad  been 
killed.  After  this  they  treated  us  with  much 
greater  respect  even  than  before,  evidently  admir- 
ing the  prowess  which  had  enabled  us  to  overcome 
so  many  of  the  few  enemies  with  whom  they  have 
to  contend.  We  immediately  set  to  work  to  re- 
move the  lining  of  the  ship ;  the  bulkheads  and 
such  other  wood-work  as  we  thought  would  prove 
useful  to  us  in  building  our  house.  The  Esqui- 
maux gave  us  to  understand  by  signs,  that  they 
would  carry  it  for  us  ;  and  as  we  threw  it  over  the 
side  of  the  ship,  they  packed  it  on  the  sledges, 
each  sledge  carrying  six  or  seven  hundred  weight. 
They  seemed  to  fancy  that  the  ship  was  ours,  and 
that  we  had  come  in  her ;  and,  of  course,  we  did 
not  wish  them  to  think  otherwise. 

Among  the  things  in  the  cabin,  we  had  discov- 
ered a  number  of  knives,  hatchets,  cotton  handker- 
chiefs, and  other  articles,  which  had  evidently  been 
brought  for  the  purpose  of  trading ;  and  some  of 
them  we  now  produced,  and  signified  that  we  would 
bestow  them  on  them,  as  rewards  for  carrying  our 
property.  The  way  we  did  this  was,  to  load  one  of 
our  own  sledges  ;  one  of  our  men  dragged  it  on 
some  little  way,  and  then  Andrew,  pointing  towards 
the  bay,  went  up  to  him,  and  gave  him  a  knife,  or 
a  handkerchief.  As  a  hatchet  was  three  times  aa 
valuable,  he  dragged  the  sledge  three  times  before 
he  received  it.  My  friend  Ickmallick's  black  eyes 
sparkled  when  he  saw  this  ;  and  his  countenance 
was  wreathed  with  smiles  for  two  reasons — first^ 
fot  the  pleasure  of  comprehending  what  we  *neant ; 


B34  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

and  also,  at  the  thoughts  of  receiving  so  large  a 
reward  for  his  labor. 

We  were  so  pleased  with  the  honest  counte- 
nances and  manner  of  these  people,  that  we  had 
no  fears  about  entrusting  the  wood,  and  other  heavy 
things,  to  them.  If  we  had  known  how  scarce 
and  valuable  wood  is  to  them,  we  might  have  hesi- 
tated more  before  we  did  so. 

Among  our  other  labors,  we  skinned  the  bears  ; 
and,  reserving  the  more  delicate  portions  of  the 
meat,  we  gave  the  rest  to  them.  To  our  surprise, 
they  immediately  began  to  eat  large  lumps  of  it 
raw,  though  we  had  lighted  the  caboose  fire  to  cook 
our  own  breakfast,  and  offered  to  cook  for  them. 

Some  they  divided  among  their  dogs ;  and,  as 
soon  as  masters  and  beasts  had  devoured  their 
meal,  they  set  off  together  towards  the  bay,  leaving 
us  still  busy  on  board.  When  they  were  gone,  we 
were  not  quite  satisfied  that  we  had  done  wisely  in 
giving  them  the  things.  They  might,  knowing 
them  to  be  ours,  carry  them  off;  or  they  might 
have  misunderstood  our  signs,  and  fancy  that  we 
had  given  them  to  them.  However,  the  thing  was 
done,  and  we  must  abide  by  the  consequences. 

We  calculated,  at  the  rate  they  travelled,  that 
they  would  easily  make  two  journeys  in  the  day  ; 
BO  we  employed  ourselves  in  getting  loads  ready 
for  them  on  their  return.  We  were  not  disappoint- 
ed. In  little  more  than  two  hours  they  made  their 
appearance ;  and  so  well  had  they  understood  us, 
that  those  to  whom  we  had  promised  knives  or 
handkerchiefs,  for  carrying  one  load,  held  out  their 
hands  for  them ;  while  those  who  were  to  make 
three  for  the  hatchets,  signified  that  they  had  per- 
formed part  of  their  contract. 

We  now  entrusted  some  of  them  with  the  bear's 
flesh  and  skins,  and  with  some  casks  of  salted 


HIS    EiRLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       335 

meat ;  and  we  also  piled  up,  outside  the  ship,  a 
load  of  wood  for  each  of  them,  to  see  if  they  would 
come  and  take  it.  As  soon  as  they  were  off,  we 
followed,  with  the  more  valuable  stores  ;  but,  as  we 
trudged  slowly  along,  we  envied  their  more  rapid 
means  of  conveyance,  and  agreed,  that  we  would 
get  them  to  carry  us,  as  well  as  our  stores,  on  the 
following  day. 

We  had  got  about  two-thirds  of  the  way,  when 
they  appeared  before  us,  with  a  fresh  relay  of 
dogs.  They  had  come  out  expressly  to  meet  us ; 
and,  putting  us  and  our  loads  on  their  sledges, 
away  we  trotted  quickly  towards  the  hut.  We 
were  much  delighted,  when  Terence  informed  us, 
that  every  thing  had  safely  been  delivered  into  hia 
hands. 

The  next  morning  we  set  to  work,  in  earnest, 
about  our  house  ;  and,  as  we  all  worked,  we  pro- 
gressed much  to  our  satisfaction.  During  the  day, 
the  Esquimaux  arrived,  with  the  loads  of  wood  we 
had  left  prepared.  They  did  not  show  any  inten- 
tion of  visiting  the  ship  when  we  were  not  there,  to 
deliver  the  things  to  them ;  indeed,  after  watching 
us  at  work  for  a  little  time,  they  all  went  away. 

I  have  not  space  to  describe  our  proceedings  mi- 
nutely. We  first  got  our  store-house  completed, 
and  all  our  things  stowed  away  in  it ;  and  then  we 
built  our  dwelling-house,  and  surrounded  it  with 
clods  of  turf,  fancying  that  we  had  constructed  a 
very  comfortable  edifice.  The  Esquimaux  paid  ua 
daily  visits,  and  carried  us  to  the  ship,  to  bring 
away  whatever  we  required.  We  were  always 
careful  to  shut  down  the  hatches  before  leaving,  to 
keep  out  the  bears  ;  and  this  they  seemed  to  con' 
aider  some  religious  ceremony,  for  they  never  at- 
tempted to  visit  the  ship  during  our  absence. 

I  never  met  with  people,  in  any  part  of  the  worH 


336  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

who  possessed  a  more  peaceable,  friendly  disposi- 
tion— such  perfect  honesty  and  constant  good  hu 
mor,  with  a  very  fair  amount  of  intelligence 
Their  courage  and  perseverance  is  expended  in 
overcoming  the  beasts  which  form  their  subsist- 
ence ;  and  there  are  few  opportunities  of  developing 
their  intellectual  qualities ;  but  in  many  respects 
they  are,  in  my  opinion,  far  more  civilised  than  a 
larger  proportion  of  their  brethren  in  the  south, 
who  claim  to  be  the  most  enlightened  nations  in 
the  world. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

We  visit  the  Esquimaux  at  their  Tents. — The  Interior,  and  their 
Mode  of  Life.— Cookery.— Dancing.— They  rush  out  to  chase 
the  Sea-horse. — Successful  Sport. — Esquimaux  Lamp  and 
Fireplace.— Description  of  Sledges  and  Dogs.— Return  to 
ourHouse. — Tom  Stokes  sees  a  Merman. 

WE  had  been  all  so  busy  in  building  our  house, 
anrd  in  bringing  our  stores  from  the  ship,  and  in 
stowing  them  away,  that  none  of  us  had  wandered 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  our  location.  The  Esqui- 
maux seemed  perfectly  to  understand  what  we 
were  about ;  and  when  they  saw  that  our  work  was 
completed,  they  came  with  their  sledges,  and  made 
signs  to  us  that  they  wished  us  to  come  and  pay 
them  a  visit  at  their  abodes. 

By  Andrew's  advice,  five  of  us  were  to  go  first, 
and  the  remainder  were  to  go  on  our  return.  Ter- 
ence and  I  and  David,  and  two  other  men,  signified 
our  willingness  to  accompany  our  new  friends.  I 
stepped  into  Ickmallick's  sledge,  and  the  rest  were 
accommodated  in  those  of  the  others  ;  and  the  dogs 
being  told  to  get  up  and  step  out,  off  we  set  at  a 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       337 

good  rate  along  a  valley,  in  which  the  snow  already 
lay  pretty  thickly.  As  there  were  no  fields,  or 
hedges  and  ditches,  we  were  able  to  follow  the  most 
convenient  track,  though  certainly  not  the  shortest, 
for  we  twisted  and  turned  among  the  hills  for  the 
sake  of  getting  a  level  road,  so  as  to  treble  our 
distance,  as  we  found  afterwards  that  we  could  reach 
the  spot  to  which  we  were  bound  almost  as  speedily 
on  foot. 

The  Esquimaux  location  was  on  the  shore  of  a 
little  bay,  opening  on  a  deep  fiord  to  the  south. 
It  was  a  sheltered  and  romantic  spot  ;  and,  in  some 
respects,  we  at  first  thought,  superior  to  the  one 
we  had  chosen.  As  we  turned  round  a  point  of  rock 
we  came  in  sight  of  a  number  of  tents  of  some  size, 
arranged  along  the  shore  at  regular  distances  from 
each  other.  As  we  appeared,  their  inhabitants 
rushed  out  to  meet  us — men,  women,  and  children 
— while  the  dogs,  no  insignificant  part  of  the  esta- 
blishment, hurried  up  the  hill  to  get  out  of  our  way, 
not  liking  our  appearance,  or,  perhaps,  their  mas- 
ters' whips,  which  were  used  with  no  sparing  hand. 

We  drove  up  to  the  tents  in  fine  style,  and  were 
welcomed  in  the  most  cordial  manner.  These  tents 
were  supported  by  a  pole  of  whalebone,  about  four- 
teen feet  long,  placed  perpendicularly  in  the  ground, 
with  four  or  five  feet  projecting  above  the  roof.  The 
sides  and  roof  were  formed  of  the  skins  of  seals, 
sewed  neatly  together.  The  tents  were  about 
seventeen  feet  long,  and  at  the  entrance  about  seven 
feet  wide,  increasing  towards  the  further  end,  where 
the  bed  places  were  situated,  where  they  are  about 
nine  feet  in  width.  The  beds  wore  formed  of  a  shrubby 
plant  strewed  over  about  a  third  of  the  tent,  and 
kept  separate  by  pieces  of  bone  laid  across  from 
side  to  side.  The  doors  opened  towards  the  south- 
west. They,  also,  were  formed  of  a  bone  frame 
29  2c 


838  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

work,  with  the  skins  stretched  on  them,  anu  arc 
made  to  overlap  each  other.  The  entrance  to  the 
tents  was  much  the  lowest  part.  The  skins  were 
pegged  down  to  the  ground  with  curved  bits  of  bone, 
also  parts  of  the  whale  ;  indeed,  everything  about 
the  tents  may  be  said  to  have  been  made  of  skio 
and  bone,  as,  in  truth,  were  all  the  articles  we  saw 
in  the  possession  of  our  friends. 

It  was  worthy  of  remark,  how  well  these  people 
adapted  their  mode  of  living  to  the  circumstances 
of  the  country,  and  how  ingeniously  they  made  use 
of  the  very  few  objects  they  had  the  means  of 
obtaining.  I  thought  to  myself,  suppose  a  civilised 
man,  or,  indeed,  a  whole  army  of  civilised  men,  were 
to  be  placed  in  this  region,  not  having  been  accus- 
tomed to  whaling  and  sealing,  as  my  companions 
were,  every  one  of  them  would  perish  within  a  few 
hours  or  days,  at  the  utmost  ;  and  these  people, 
who  are  called  savages,  have  contrived  to  supply 
themselves  with  all  the  conveniences  and  necessaries 
of  life.  We  felt  that,  had  we  not  discovered  the 
wreck,  and  afterwards  fallen  in  with  them,  we  might 
have  fared  very  ill  indeed. 

When  we  got  off  the  sledges,  our  new  friends 
invited  us  to  enter  the  tents.  I  went  into  Ickmal- 
lick's,  where  he  introduced  me  to  his  wife  and 
children.  She  was  young,  and  had  a  pleasant  ami- 
able expression  of  countenance,  which  made  me  feel 
quite  at  home.  She  was  employed  in  cooking  the 
family  meal.  Her  fire-place  was  composed  of  a  few 
stones  in  the  corner  of  the  tent,  with  a  lamp  of  oil 
and  moss  in  the  centre ;  and  over  it  was  suspended 
a  small  stone  vessel,  of  an  oblong  shape,  and  larger 
at  the  top  than  the  bottom,  containing  a  mess  of 
eea-horse  flesh,  with  a  quantity  of  thick  gravy. 
The  dinner  was  just  ready,  so  all  of  us  sitting  round 
in  a  circle,  with  the  dish  in  the  centre,  we  set  to 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      339 

I  had  become  in  no  ways  particular,  or  I  might  not 
have  relished  my  meal,  for  there  was  rather  more 
blood  and  dirt  in  the  mixture  than  might  have  been 
wished  for  ;  but  some  of  the  ribs  were  very  palata- 
ble, though  I  should  have  preferred  some  bread, 
and  salt,  and  potatoes  with  them. 

I  considered  my  appetite  good  ;  but  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ickmallick,  and  their  interesting  family,  dis- 
tanced me  far,  and  in  a  few  minutes  each  of  them 
had  eaten  more  than  would  have  served  me  for  the 
whole  day. 

The  dish  out  of  which  we  were  eating  was  made 
of  whalebone,  one  piece  being  bent  for  the  sides, 
and  another  flat  piece  being  used  for  the  bottom, 
and  sown  so  neatly  together,  that  it  was  perfectly 
water-tight.  The  knives  they  used  were  made  of 
the  tusk  of  the  walrus,  cut,  or  ground  sufficiently 
thin  for  the  purpose,  and  retaining  the  original 
curve  of  the  tusk. 

In  the  tent  I  observed  a  number  of  the  weapons 
they  use  in  the  chase.  The  spears,  or  darts,  em- 
ployed in  killing  seals,  and  other  sea-animals,  are 
something  like  harpoons,  consisting  of  two  parts, 
a  spear  and  a  staff.  The  latter  is  of  wood  when  it 
can  be  obtained,  and  is  from  three  and  a  half  to 
five  feet  in  length  ;  and  the  former  is  of  bone, 
ground  to  a  blunt  point.  The  lines  attached  to  the 
spears  are  cut  out  of  seal-skin,  well  stretched  and 
dried,  and  then  coiled  up  like  a  rope.  To  serve  aa 
a  float,  a  large  bladder  is  used. 

Most  of  the  ladies  had  their  faces  tattooed,  and 
some  their  hands  ;  and  I  certainly  did  not  think  it, 
improved  their  beauty,  though  I  supposed  they  did. 
The  children  were  fat  and  rosy,  and  really  interes- 
ting looking,  and  so  were  some  of  the  younger  girls  ; 
but  my  gratitude  for  their  hospitality  prevencs  m& 
Haying  anything  about  the  elder  ladies.  Their  jet 


340  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

black  glossy  hair  hung  down  carelessly  over  their 
shoulders,  and  was  not  tied  up  like  that  of  the  peo- 
ple we  had  seen  on  the  Greenland  coast.  They 
carried  the  younger  children  on  their  back,  in  little 
flacks  or  hoods,  just  as  the  gipsies  do  in  England. 

The  women  were  under  five  feet  in  height,  and 
few  of  the  men  surpassed  five  feet  four,  five,  or  six 
inches.  The  complexion  of  the  young  women  was 
very  clear,  and  by  no  means  dark  ;  their  eyes  were 
bright  and  piercing,  and  their  teeth  of  pearly  white- 
ness, though  their  lips  were  thicker,  and  their  noses 
flatter  than  people  in  England  consider  requisite 
for  beauty. 

From  the  quantity  of  clothes  they  wore,  both  men 
and  women  appeared  a  much  larger  people  than 
they  really  were,  especially  the  children,  who 
looked  like  little  balls  of  skins. 

When  we  came  out  of  the  tents  we  found  the  air 
very  cold ;  and  to  warm  himself,  Terence  began  to 
jump  about,  and  to  snap  his  fingers,  singing  at  the 
same  time.  This  seemed  particularly  to  strike  the 
fancy  of  our  hosts  ;  and  in  a  little  time  men,  women, 
and  children  had  joined  us  in  a  reel,  and  we  were 
all  dancing  and  singing  away  furiously,  till  we  could 
scarcely  move  for  fatigue. 

It  made  us  all  very  merry,  and  improved  the  in- 
timate terms  on  which  we  were  with  our  friends. 
As  the  sun  was  sinking  low,  we  made  signs  that 
we  wished  to  return  home  ;  but  they  signified  that 
they  could  not  part  so  soon  from  us,  and  that  we 
must  pass  the  night  at  their  huts.  As  we  felt  per- 
fect confidence  in  them,  and  were  willing  to  see  more 
of  their  habits  and  customs,  we  determined  to  re- 
main. We  had  some  more  singing  and  dancing ; 
and  they  were  highly  delighted  at  seeing  Terence 
and  another  man  dance  an  Irish  jig  ;  they  care- 
fully noting  every  movement  that  was  made. 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES.    341 

As  soon  as  it  was  over,  two  of  them  got  up,  and, 
amid  shouts  of  laughter,  performed  a  very  good 
imitation  of  the  dance.  When  the  dance  was  over, 
we  were  invited  into  the  tents,  to  partake  of  some 
more  of  their  savory  messes,  they  probably  thinking, 
that  as  we  had  eaten  so  little,  according  to  their 
notions,  the  first  time,  that  we  must  be  hungry 
again.  They  pressed  us  much  to  eat  more ;  and 
Ickmallick  selected  what  he  considered  the  tit-bits, 
and  watching  his  opportunity,  endeavored  to  pop 
them  into  my  mouth,  not  at  all  to  my  satisfaction, 
though  I  endeavored  to  conceal  the  annoyance  I 
felt,  Test  I  should  hurt  their  feelings,  for  I  saw  it 
was  done  with  the  kindest  intentions. 

The  meal  was  scarcely  over,  when  notice  was 
given  that  a  herd  of  sea-horses,  or  walruses,  or 
morse,  as  they  are  sometimes  called,  had  come  into 
the  fiord,  and  were  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
bay.  The  opportunity  of  catching  some  of  these 
animals,  so  valuable  to  the  Esquimaux,  was  not  to 
be  lost,  so  seizing  their  spears  and  lines,  they  hur- 
ried down  to  the  beach. 

Here  their  canoes  were  placed  bottom  upwards, 
on  two  upright  piles  of  stones,  about  four  feet  from 
the  ground.  This  is  done  to  allow  the  air  to  pass 
under  them,  and  to  prevent  them  from  rotting. 
They  are  about  seventeen  feet  long,  and  rather 
more  than  two  feet  wide,  decked  over,  except  a  hole 
in  the  centre,  in  which  the  rower  sits,  and  round 
this  there  is  a  high  ledge,  to  prevent  the  sea  wash- 
ing in.  Two  feet  of  the  bows  float  out  of  the  water. 
The  timbers,  or  ribs,  vhich  are  five  or  six  inches 
apart,  and  the  stem  and  stern,  are  of  whalebone  ; 
and  they  are  covered  with  the  skins  of  the  seal,  or 
walrus,  sewed  neatly  together.  When  drift-wood 
can  be  found,  they  employ  it.  The  paddle  is  double 
»nd  n  ade  of  fir  ;  the  edges  of  the  blade  being  COY- 
10 


S42  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

ered  with  hard  bone,  to  secure  them  from  wear 


ing. 
Wil 


With  the  greatest  caution  the  Esquimaux  lifted 
their  canoes  into  the  water,  to  prevent  them  rub- 
bing against  the  rocks ;  and  they  then  helped  each 
other  in,  we  assisting  the  last  man.  I  observed 
that  each  of  them  took  a  few  handfuls  of  sand  with 
him,  in  the  canoe.  As  we  stood  on  the  beach,  we 
could  see  the  walruses  blowing  like  whales,  as  they 
came  up  the  fiord,  and  our  friends  eagerly  paddling 
out  towards  them.  The  canoes  went  along  as  fast 
as  a  quick-rowing  gig. 

The  walrus  may  be  said  to  be  something  like  a 
bullock  and  a  whale,  and  it  grows  to  the  size  of  an 
ox.  It  has  two  canine  teeth,  twenty  inches  long, 
curving  inward  from  the  upper  jaw;  their  use  is  to 
defend  itself  against  the  bear,  when  Bruin  attacks 
it,  and  to  lift  itself  up  on  the  ice.  The  head  is  short, 
small,  and  flattened  in  front.  The  flattened  part  of 
the  face  is  set  with  strong  bristles.  The  nostrils 
are  on  the  upper  part  of  the  snout,  through  which 
it  blows  like  a  whale.  The  fore-paws  are  a  kind  of 
webbed  hand ;  they  are  above  two  feet  long,  and 
may  be  stretched  out  to  the  width  of  fifteen  or 
eighteen  inches.  The  hind  feet,  which  form  a  sort 
of  tail-fin,  extend  straight  backward.  They  are  not 
united,  but  are  detached  from  each  other.  The 
termination  of  each  toe  is  marked  by  a  small  nail. 
The  skin  of  the  animal  is  about  an  inch  thick,  and 
is  covered  with  a  short  yellowish-brown  colored 
hair.  The  inside  of  the  paws  in  old  animals,  ia 
very  roughened,  from  having  to  climb  over  the  ice 
and  rocks.  Beneath  the  skin  is  a  layer  of  fat,  the 
thickness  varying  in  different  seasons. 

The  canoes  were  soon  among  the  herd,  and  seve- 
ral of  the  animals  were  immediately  struck.  In- 
itead,  however,  of  darting  away,  each  of  the  wounded 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENT.  ITRES.       843 

animals  made  at  the  canoes,  and  their  occupants 
had  to  pull  hard  to  keep  out  of  their  reach.  When 
the  other  walruses  saw  this,  they  also  swam  towards 
the  canoes  to  the  assistance  of  their  companions, 
and  a  regular  contest  commenced  between  man  and 
beast. 

The  men,  by  the  clever  twists  and  turns  they 
gave  their  canoes,  managed  to  keep  out  of  their 
way  ;  the  wounded  animals  all  the  time  growing 
•weaker  and  weaker,  and  whenever  any  of  those 
untouched  approached  so  near  as  to  endanger  the 
canoes,  they  threw  a  handful  of  sand  so  dextrously 
in  their  eyes,  that  the  enraged  animals  were  blinded 
and  confused,  and  immediately  swam  off. 

I  regretted  that  we  had  not  our  firearms  with  us, 
as  we  might  very  soon  have  killed  a  large  number 
without  difficulty,  provided  the  report  did  not  fright- 
en them  away. 

It  was  quite  dark  by  the  time  the  canoes  return- 
ed to  the  beach,  each  towing,  in  triumph,  the  dead 
body  of  a  walrus.  On  hearing  of  their  success,  the 
people,  who  remained  on  shore,  set  up  shouts  of  joy, 
and  hastened  down  to  carry  off  the  blubber,  and  tho 
more  delicate  morsels  for  their  next  day's  meal. 
The  greater  portion  of  the  flesh  was  stowed  away 
in  holes  in  the  bank,  lined  with  a  coating  of  snow, 
and  thickly  covered  over  with  large  stones,  so  that 
no  animal  could  get  at  them.  They  have  no  fear 
in  this  climate  of  their  food  being  destroyed  by  ver- 
min or  small  insects. 

We  thought  our  friends  had  done  eating  for  the 
day,  but  the  temptation  of  some  fresh  blubber  was 
too  great  to  be  resisted  ;  and  to  our  astonishment, 
they  again  set  their  pot  on  to  boil,  and  eat  till  they 
2ould  eat  no  more. 

Terence,  and  the  rest  of  my  party,  fared  in  the 
same  way,  in  their  resDective  tents,  tnat  I  did.  Ick 


844  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

mallick,  when  lie  had  done  eating,  made  a  sign  to 
me,  to  occupy  a  corner  of  the  family  couc  h  ;  and 
the  whole  family  were  soon  snoring  away,  and  mak- 
ing a  no  very  harmonious  concert,  while  a  dozen  or 
more  dogs  sneaked  in,  and  took  up  their  quarters 
at  our  feet. 

The  lamp  was  left  burning  all  the  night.  It  is 
a  shallow  crescent-shaped  vessel  of  pot-stone,  or 
what  is  called  soapstone,  from  its  soapy  feel.  The 
wick  is  composed  of  dry  moss,  rubbed  between  the 
hands  till  it  is  quite  inflammable.  It  is  disposed 
along  the  edge  of  the  lamp,  on  the  straight  side,  and 
a  greater  or  smaller  quantity  lighted,  according  to 
the  heat  required,  or  the  fuel  that  can  be  afforded. 

I  was  much  pleased,  by  observing  the  clever  way 
in  which  the  lamp  is  made  to  supply  itself  with  oil, 
by  suspending  a  long  thin  slice  of  whale,  seal,  or 
sea-horse  blubber  near  the  flame,  the  warmth  of 
which  causes  the  oil  to  drip  into  the  vessel,  until 
the  whole  is  extracted. 

The  wick  is  trimmed  by  a  piece  of  asbestos 
stone  ;  and  a  quantity  of  moss  is  kept  ready  to  sup- 
ply the  wick. 

Immediately  over  the  lamp  is  fixed  a  frame- work 
of  bone,  from  which  the  pots  are  suspended  ;  as, 
also,  a  large  hoop  of  bone,  having  a  net  stretched 
tightly  within  it.  Into  this  net  are  put  any  wet 
things  which  require  drying  ;  and  it  is  usually  filled 
with  boots,  shoes  and  mittens.  The  lamp  kept  up 
a  pleasant  heat  in  the  tent  during  the  night  ;  and, 
without  it,  we  should  have  suffered^much  from  the 
cold,  as  it  was  freezing  hard  outside. 

The  first  thing  my  hostess  did  in  the  morning, 
was  to  set  on  the  cooking  pot.  The  toilet  was  made 
as  rapidly  as  that  of  a  family  of  bears  ;  for  all  they 
did  was  to  get  up  and  shake  themselves.  Before 
thev  went  out,  however,  they  pulled  on  some  shoes 


HIS    iSAKLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      345 

over  their  boots  to  keep  their  feet  dry  ;  for  it  had 
been  snoring  hard  in  the  night.  I  was  very  little 
inclined  to  partake  of  the  breakfast,  though  I  did 
try  best  to  eat  a  little,  to  please  them. 

We  now  explained  to  our  friends  that  we  wished 
to  return,  and  they  showed  their  willingness  to 
comply  with  our  wish,  by  catching  their  dogs,  and 
harnessing  them  to  their  sledges. 

In  every  part  of  the  world  the  dog  is  the  faithful 
companion  and  servant  of  man  ;  but  especially  so 
in  these  icy  regions.  I  do  not  know  how  the  Es- 
quimaux could  exist  without  do^s  ;  not  only  do  they 
drag  heavy  weights  for  long  distances  at  a  great 
rate,  but  they,  by  their  excellent  scent,  assist  their 
masters  in  finding  the  seal-holes,  and  they  will  at- 
tack the  bear  and  every  other  animal  with  great 
courage,  except  the  wolf,  of  which  they  seem  to  have 
an  instinctive  dread. 

In  appearance  and  color  they  much  resemble  the 
wolf  ;  but  the  latter,  when  running,  always  carries 
his  head  down,  and  his  tail  between  his  legs,  as  if 
ashamed  of  himself,  while  they  always  hold  their 
heads  up,  and  their  tails  curled  handsomely  over 
their  backs. 

In  the  winter  they  are  covered  with  hair  three 
or  four  inches  long,  and  a.  thick  undercoat  of  coarse 
wool,  so  that  they  can  withstand  the  severest  cold, 
if  protected  from  the  wind  by  a  snow  wall,  or  a 
rock. 

Their  masters  treat  them  very  roughly  ;  and, 
•when  food  is  scarce,  they  leave  them  to  pick  up 
any  garbage  they  can  find.  They  often  beat  them 
unmercifully,  but,  in  spite  of  ill  usage,  the  dogs  are 
much  attached  to  them,  and,  on  their  return  from  a 
journey,  show  as  much  pleasure,  by  jumping  up  and 
trying  to  lick  their  faces,  as  any  well-bred  hound  in 
England.  If  they  show  a  disposition  to  fccray,  a 


346  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

fore-leg  is  tied  up  to  the  neck,  so  that  they  tumbl* 
do\vn  when  they  attempt  to  run. 

The  females  are  attended  by  the  women,  and 
treated  with  great  care,  and  the  puppies  are  often 
fed  with  meat  and  water  at  the  same  time  as  the 
children.  Consequently,  when  grown  up,  they 
always  follow  women  more  willingly  than  the  men ; 
and  when  they  are  drawing  a  heavy  load,  she  will 
entice  them  on  by  pretending  to  eat  a  piece  of  meat, 
and  by  throwing  her  mitten  before  them  on  the 
enow,  when,  mistaking  it  for  food,  they  hurry  for- 
ward to  pick  it  up. 

We  afterwards  purchased  a  number,  which  we 
found  very  useful  for  hunting,  as,  also,  for  drawing 
a  sledge  ;  though  we  never  managed  them  so  well 
as  the  Esquimaux  did. 

A  drive  of  a  couple  of  hours  carried  us  back  to 
our  house,  where  we  found  our  companions  well,  and 
ready  to  accompany  our  new  friends  on  a  visit  to 
their  tents.  We  employed  ourselves  during  their 
absence  in  thickening  the  walls  of  our  house,  and 
in  getting  our  boat  ready  for  hunting  seals,  in  order 
to  lay  in  a  good  supply  of  oil  for  winter  use. 

Vve  had  no  time  to  lose,  for  every  day  the 
weather  was  getting  colder  and  colder,  and  the  days 
shorter,  and  we  might  expect  the  winter  speedily 
to  set  in. 

All  this  time,  it  must  be  remembered,  there  was 
no  want  of  ice  and  icebergs  on  the  sea,  and  snow 
on  the  ground  ;  but  still,  when  the  sun  shone,  the 
air  was  pleasantly  warm  to  our  feelings,  long  ac- 
customed to  constant  exposure  to  sharp  winds, 
which  would  have  chilled  the  blood  of  most  of  our 
countrymen  accustomed  to  live  at  home  at  ease. 

We  found  our  house  at  night  colder  than  we  ex- 
pected; and  we  resolved  to  catch  as  many  animals 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       347 

AS  we  could  with  warm  skins,  to  make  ourselves 
clothing. 

The  next  morning,  while  the  rest  of  us  were  en- 
gaged about  the  house,  Tom  Stokes,  who  had  gono 
some  way  along  the  beach,  to  watch  for  any  seals 
which  might  appear,  came  running  back,  declaring 
that  he  had  seen  a  fierce-looking  wild  man  grinning 
at  him  over  a  hummock  of  ice,  and  that  he  must  be 
one  of  the  mermen  he  had  read  about,  but  which  he 
did  not  before  believe  to  exist.  He  said,  that  when 
he  first  saw  him,  he  was  in  the  water  ;  that  he  came 
out  on  the  ice,  and  put  up  his  fist,  and  made  faces 
at  him,  and  that  though  he  hove  a  stone  at  him,  he 
did  not  seem  to  care. 

"  I'll  see  what  this  merman  is  ;"  I  observed,  tak- 
ing up  a  gun  loaded  with  a  bullet,  and  following 
Tom  to  the  spot. 

There,  sure  enough,  was  an  ugly  black -looking 
monster  ;  but  instead  of  a  merman,  it  was  a  walrus. 
I  got  round  so  as  to  have  a  fair  shot  at  its  side,  and 
knocked  it  over  sprawling  on  the  ice.  It  had  not 
strength  left  to  crawl  off  the  ice,  and  Tom  and  I, 
going  up  to  it,  despatched  it  with  our  spears.  We 
Bummoned  the  rest,  and  dragged  it  home  on  oui 
big  sledge  in  triumph.  We  never  ceased  after- 
wards to  joke  Tom  about  his  ugly  merman. 


848  PETER    THE    WHALER, 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Find  JUT  Wooden  Hut  very  cold. — The  Esquimaux  shew  us  how 
to  build  a  Winter  Hut.— We  follow  their  Example.— A  Snow 
Hut. — Esquimaux  Children's  Toys. — Accompany  Ickmallick 
on  a  Hunting  Expedition. — A  quickly-built  Hut. — Musk 
Oxen. — Desperate  Encounter. — Kill  a  Stag. — Buried  in  tha 
Snow. 

WE  fancied  that  we  had  got  everything  comfor- 
table for  the  winter,  which  now,  about  the  middle 
of  October,  began  to  set  in  with  severe  earnest- 
ness, with  heavy  falls  of  snow,  and  strong  north- 
erly winds.  Our  house,  on  which  we  had  so 
much  prided  ourselves,  did  not  keep  out  the  cold 
blast  as  we  expected  ;  and.  though  we  covered  our- 
selves up  with  blankets,  and  sails,  and  skins,  and 
kept  up  a  constant  fire  in  the  little  stove  we  had 
brought  from  the  cabin  of  the  wreck,  we  were 
almost  perished  with  cold. 

It  was  after  a  very  severe  night,  and  we  wer€ 
consulting  what  we  should  do  to  keep  warm,  that 
we  saw  the  sledges  of  our  Esquimaux  friends  come 
dashing  along  down  the  valley  towards  us.  We 
were  anxious  to  return  the  hospitality  they  had 
shown  us,  so  we  asked  them  into  the  house,  and 
stirred  up  our  fire,  threw  some  more  wood  on  it, 
and  put  on  a  pot  of  lobscouse  to  regale  them. 

They  could  scarcely  restrain  their  feelings  of 
dismay,  when  they  saw  this  waste  of  wood,  to  them 
so  precious  a  thing,  and  by  signs,  they  entreated  us 
to  desist,  reminding  us  that  they  had  cooked  their 
meat  in  a  very  different  way.  However,  as  the 
pot  began  to  boil,  there  was  no  necessity  for  put- 
ting more  wood  on. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      349 

They  then  tried  to  show  us,  by  significant  ges- 
tures, that  they  thought  we  should  be  frozen  to 
death  in  our  house,  when  the  cold  increased.  To 
do  this  they  shivered  very  much,  then  shut  their 
eyes,  and  stretched  out  their  limbs,  till  they  were 
rigid,  and  looking  round  at  the  walls,  shook  their 
heads,  as  much  as  to  say.  "  This  will  never  do." 
Then  they  smiled,  and  explained  that  they  could 
soon  show  us  how  to  manage. 

Having  selected  a  level  spot  near  our  house,  they 
beat  the  snow  on  it  down  till  it  was  quite  hard,, 
and  then  marked  out  a  circle  about  twelve  feet  in 
diameter.  They  then,  from  under  a  bank  where 
the  snow  had  drifted  thickly,  and  was  very 
hard,  cut  out  a  number  of  slabs  like  large  bricks, 
about  two  feet  long,  and  six  inches  thick.  These 
they  placed  edgeways  on  the  spot  marked  out,  leav- 
ing a  space  to  the  south-west  for  the  door.  A  se- 
cond tier  was  laid  on  this,  but  the  pieces  were  made 
to  incline  a  little  inwards.  The  top  of  this  was 
squared  of  with  a  knife  by  one  of  them,  who  stood 
in  the  middle,  while  others  from  without  supplied 
him  with  bricks. 

When  the  wall  had  been  raised  to  the  height  of 
five  feet,  it  leaned  so  much  that  we  thought  it  would 
certainly  fall  in ;  but  still  our  friends  worked  on 
till  they  could  no  longer  reach  the  top.  The  man 
within  then  cut  a  hole  in  the  south-west  side,  where 
the  door  was  intended  to  be,  and  through  this  the 
slabs  were  now  passed.  They  worked  on  till  the 
sides  met  in  a  well-constructed  dome  ;  and  then 
one  climbing  up  to  the*  top,  dropped  into  the  centre 
the  last  block  or  key-stone. 

The  rest  of  the  party  were  all  this  time  busily 
employed  with  their  snow-shovels  in  throwing  up 
the  snow  around  the  building,  and  in  carefully  fill- 
ing any  crevices  which  might  have  been  left. 
2  o 


350  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

While  we  stood  looking  on  with  amazement  at 
the  rapidity  and  neatness  with  which  the  work  was 
executed,  the  builder  let  himself  out  as  a  mole  does 
out  of  his  mole-hill.  He  cut  away  the  door  till  he 
had  formed  a  gothic  arch,  about  three  feet  high,  and 
two  and  a  half  wide  at  the  bottom.  From  this  door, 
in  the  same  way,  two  passages  were  constructed, 
about  twelve  feet  long,  the  floor  of  them  being  con- 
siderably lower  than  the  floor  of  the  hut,  so  that 
one  had  to  creep  up  through  them  into  the  hut. 

We  were  wondering  how  they  were  to  see  through 
the  thick  snow,  when,  from  one  of  the  sledges,  a 
large  slab  of  fresh  water  ice  was  produced  ;  and 
the  builder  cutting  a  round  hole  in  one  side  of  the 
roof,  it  was  let  into  it  to  form  a  window. 

After  the  window  \vas  cut  the  builder  remained 
inside  for  a  short  time,  and  then  invited  us  to  en- 
ter. He  had  collected  the  snow  on  one  side,  to  form 
the  beds  for  a  family.  Round  the  remaining  por- 
tion seats  were  formed,  and  a  place  for  holding  the 
cooking-lamp. 

Indeed,  the  house  thus  rapidly  formed  was  per- 
fect in  every  respect.  The  light,  which  came  through 
the  ice,  was  like  that  transmitted  through  ground 
glass,  very  soft  and  pleasant,  and  tinted  with  the 
most  delicate  hues  of  green  and  blue.  A  domed 
room,  of  the  most  shining  alabaster,  could  not  be 
more  beautiful.  We  found  that  our  friends  intend- 
ed to  take  up  their  abode  near  us,  for  as  soon  as  they 
had  finished  one  hut  they  began  upon  others, 
making  signs  to  us  that  the  first  they  intended  for 
our  occupation. 

We  would  rather,  perhaps,  for  some  reasons,  that, 
they  had  selected  a  spot  at  a  greater  distance  ;  but 
they  were  so  honest  and  good-natured,  that  we  had 
little  cause  to  complain.  Andrew  suggested,  that 
though  we  might  not  use  the  hut  they  had  built,  w« 


niS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       851 

might  take  a  lesson  from  them,  and  cover  in  our 
house  with  snow  of  the  same  thickness  as  their  walls, 
procuring  from  them  slabs  of  ice  for  the  windows. 

No  sooner  was  this  proposed  than  we  set  about 
the  work,  at  which,  when  our  indefatigable  friends 
observed  it,  they  were  so  pleased  that  several  of 
them  came  to  assist  us  in  forming  the  bricks  of 
snow ;  and  in  a  short  time  a  thick  wall  was  run  up, 
which  made  a  very  sensible  difference  in  the  tem- 
perature of  our  room.  The  next  day  we  covered  in 
the  roof,  leaving  only  a  very  small  opening  for  the 
chimney.  We  also  built  a  deep  portico  before  the 
door,  with  a  second  door  to  it,  which  prevented  the 
wind  from  whistling  in  as  it  had  before  done. 

Besides  this,  we  built  a  court-yard  to  our  house, 
with  the  walls  eight  feet  high,  to  protect  us  from 
the  wind ;  and,  at  last,  we  began  to  flatter  ourselves 
that  we  might  be  tolerably  comfortable,  though  we 
had  to  own  that,  notwithstanding  all  the  means  we 
had  at  our  command,  the  Esquimaux  were  better 
able  to  make  themselves  so. 

Our  fire,  from  the  constant  care  it  required,  and 
the  difficulty  of  procuring  fuel,  gave  us  most  trouble ; 
so  remembering  the  lamp  we  had  seen  in  the  tents, 
we  resolved  to  adopt  a  similar  plan. 

We  had  been  so  busily  engaged  in  improving  our 
own  house,  that  we  had  not  remarked  the  progress 
made  by  our  friends  in  the  construction  of  their 
habitations.  They  now  invited  us  to  enter  them 
again,  when  we  found  all  the  families  already 
established  comfortably  in  them. 

After  creeping  through  the  two  low  passages, 
each  with  its  arched  doorway,  we  came  to  a  small 
circular  apartment,  of  which  th3  roof  was  a  perfect 
dome.  From  this,  three  doorways,  also  arched,  and 
»f  large*  dimensions  than  the  outer  ones,  led  into 


352  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

*s  many  inhabited  apartments,  one  on  each 
and  the  other  facing  us  as  we  entered. 

The  scene  presented  by  the  interior  was  verv  in- 
teresting. The  women  were  seated  on  the  becls  at 
the  sides  of  the  huts,  each  having  her  little  fire- 
place, or  lamp,  with  all  her  domestic  utensils  about 
her.  The  children  crept  behind  their  mothers  ;  and 
the  dogs,  except  the  female  ones,  which  were  indulged 
with  a  part  of  the  beds,  slunk  out  past  us  in  dismay. 

The  roof  and  sides  of  the  inner  rooms  were  lined 
with  seal-skin,  neatly  sewed  together,  and  exactly 
fitting  the  dome,  which  gave  the  whole  a  very  com- 
fortable nest-like  appearance.  On  examination,  we 
found  that  the  beds  were  arranged,  first  by  cover- 
ing the  snow  with  a  quantity  of  small  stones,  over 
which  were  laid  tent-poles,  blades  of  whalebone,  and 
other  similar  shaped  things  ;  above  these  a  number 
of  little  pieces  of  net-work,  made  of  thin  slips  of 
whalebone ;  and,  lastly,  a  quantity  of  leaves  and 
twigs.  Above  all  were  spread  a  thick  coating  of 
skins,  which  could  not  now  by  any  chance  touch 
the  snow,  and  a  very  comfortable  couch  was  tne 
result. 

The  lamps  were  the  same  as  those  used  in  the 
tents,  and  were  quite  sufficient  to  afford  ample 
warmth  to  the  apartments.  Indeed,  had  the  heat 
been  greater,  it  would  have  caused  the  snow  to  melt, 
to  the  great  inconvenience  of  the  inhabitants. 

I  have  already  described  some  of  their  domestic 
utensils — their  pots  hollowed  out  of  stone,  with 
handles  of  sinew  to  place  over  the  fire — their  dishes 
and  plates  of  whalebone — and  their  baskets  of  va- 
rious sizes,  made  of  skins — their  knives  of  the 
tusks  of  the  walrus — their  drinking-cups  of  the 
horns  of  the  musk-ox — and  their  spoons  are  of  the 
game  material.  They  aho  make  marrow-spoons 
»ut  cf  long  narrow  hollcved  pieces  of  bone,  and 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTUJIES.       363 

evury  housewife  has  several  of  them  tied  together, 
tnd  attached  to  her  needle-case. 

Every  person  carries  a  little  leathern  case,  con- 
taining moss  •well  dried  and  rubbed  between  the 
hands,  and  also  the  white  floss  of  the  seed  of  the 
ground-willow,  to  serve  as  tinder.  The  sparks  are 
struck  from  two  lumps  of  iron  pyrites  ;  and  as  soon 
as  the  tinder  has  caught,  it  is  gently  blown  till  the 
fire  has  spread  an  inch  around,  when  the  pointed 
end  of  a  piece  of  oiled  wick  being  applied,  it  soon 
bursts  into  a  flame,  the  whole  process  occupying  a 
couple  of  minutes. 

While  speaking  of  their  domestic  habits,  I  may 
remark,  that  in  summer  they  live  on  the  flesh  of 
the  musk-ox,  the  rein-deer,  the  whale,  the  walrus, 
the  seal,  and  the  salmon,  besides  birds,  and  hares, 
and  any  other  animals  they  can  catch  ;  but  in  the 
winter  they  seldom  can  procure  anything  but  the 
walrus  and  small  seal,  so  that  they  suffer  often  from 
hunger.  Then,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  they  are  very 
improvident,  and  eat  to  repletion  when  they  have  a 
good  supply,  seldom  thinking  of  saving  for  the  fu- 
ture. 

This  is  their  great  fault.  I  should  say  that  they 
are  a  most  amiable,  industrious,  and  peaceful  peo- 
ple, whose  minds  are  well  prepared  to  receive  the 
truths  of  Christianity,  though  at  present  they  ap- 
pear to  have  little  or  no  notions  whatever  of  any 
sort  of  religion,  and  none  of  a  Supreme  Being. 

The  children,  from  their  pleasing  manners,  took 
our  fancy  very  much.  They  never  cry  for  trifling 
accidents,  and  seldom  even  for  severe  hurts.  They 
are  as  fond  of  play  as  other  children  ;  and  while  an 
English  child  draws  a  cart,  an  Esquimaux  has  a 
tledge  of  whalebone  ;  and  instead  of  a  baby-house, 
it  builds  a  miniature  snow  hut,  and  begs  a  lighted 

3D  SO 


854  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

wick  from  its  mother's  lamp  to  illuminate  the  littlfl 
dwelling. 

Their  parents  make  for  them  as  dolls  little 
Lgures  of  men  and  women  habited  in  the  true  Es- 
quimaux costume,  as  well  as  a  variety  of  other 
toys,  many  of  them  having  reference  to  their  fu- 
ture occupations  in  life,  such  as  canoes,  spears,  and 
bows  and  arrows. 

Grown  people,  as  well  as  children,  use  the  drum, 
or  tambourine,  in  their  games.  They  are  fond  of 
notching  the  edges  of  .two  bits  of  whalebone,  and 
whirling  them  round  their  heads,  to  make  a  hum- 
ming sound,  just  as  English  boys  do  ;  and  they  also 
make  toys  like  windmills,  with  arms,  to  turn  round 
with  the  wind. 

From  an  early  age,  boys  are  taught  habits  of  in- 
dustry ;  and,  when  not  more  than  eight  years  old, 
their  fathers  take  them  on  their  seal-catching  ex- 
peditions, where  they  learn  how  to  support  them- 
selves during  their  future  life.  They  are  frequent- 
ly entrusted,  even  at  that  early  age,  to  bring  home 
a  sledge  and  dogs,  several  miles  over  the  ice  ;  and, 
at  the  age  of  eleven,  boys  are  to  be  seen  in  water- 
tight boots  and  moccasons,  with  spears  in  their 
hands,  and  coils  of  line  on  their  backs,  accompany- 
ing the  men  on  their  fishing  excursions. 

The  village  had  been  established  a  few  days, 
when  my  friend  Ickmallick  proposed  that  I  should 
accompany  him  in  an  expedition,  in  search  of  game, 
inland.  The  Esquimaux  had  not  yet  seen  us  use 
our  guns  ;  but,  from  having  discovered  that  we  had 
killed  the  bears  and  the  walrus  by  some  means  un- 
known to  them,  they  were  impressed  with  an  idea 
that  we  were  able  to  kill  any  animals  without  diffi- 
culty. 

Andrew  having  no  objection  to  my  going,  I  sup- 
plied myself  with  a  store  of  provisions,  to  last  m« 


HIS    EARLY    LI.J'E    AND    ADVENTURES.      365 


leveral  days.  with  a  skin  and  a  couple  of  blankets, 
a  cooking  pot  and  cup  ;  and  with  my  gun  in  my 
hand,  I  took  iny  seat  on  my  friend's  sledge.  Be- 
sides the  six  dogs  which  drew  it,  we  were  accom- 
panied by  two  brace  of  hunting  dogs  ;  those  in  the 
team  being,  also,  equally  serviceable  for  running 
down  game.  Ickmallick  had  some  walrus  flesh  and 
blubber  for  himself  and  the  dogs,  and  a  dish  for  our 
lamp.  He  was  armed  with  a  bow  and  arrows,  a 
spear,  and  a  knife. 

I  had  become  possessed  of  a  dog,  of  the  name  of 
Tupua,  a  very  fine  animal,  who  had  grown  very 
much  attached  to  me,  in  consequence  of  my  feeding 
him  regularly  and  treating  him  kindly.  He  now 
followed  the  sledge,  with  the  rest  of  the  pack.  Ick- 
mallick cracked  his  whip,  and  off  we  went,  over  the 
hard-frozen  snow,  at  a  rapid  rate.  Where  we  were 
going  to  I  could  not  tell,  except  that  our  course 
was  about  west  and  south-west. 

The  first  day  we  saw  no  game  of  any  descrip- 
tion. We  travelled,  I  supposed,  about  thirty  miles  ; 
for,  though  sometimes  we  went  along  over  the  hard 
snow  very  fast,  at  others  we  had  to  go  over  very 
rough  ground,  and  to  climb  hills.  Had  I  not  seen 
the  snow  hut  built  before,  I  should  have  hesitated 
about  accompanying  my  friend,  on  account  of  not 
knowing  how  we  were  to  pass  the  nights.  I  was, 
however,  not  surprised  to  see  him  set  to  work,  be- 
hind a  sheltered  bank,  and,  in  the  course  of  half  an 
hour,  with  my  assistance,  run  up  as  comfortable  a 
hut  as,  under  the  circumstances  of  ;he  case,  we 
could  desire,  with  a  lamp  burning  within,  and  a  lux- 
urious bed  ready  ;  while  another  hut,  close  to  it, 
was  run  up  for  the  dogs.  The  dogs  being  fed,  and 
our  pot  having  produced  us  a  savoury  mess,  of 
which  my  companion  eat  by  far  the  larger  portion, 
we  went  to  bed,  and  slept  soundly  till  the  morning, 


85(5  JETER    THE    WHALER, 

We  had  started  about  two  hours,  when  the  sharp 
eyes  of  my  friend  discovered  the  traces  of  two  musk 
oxen,  on  the  steep  side  of  a  hill.  Immediately  jump- 
ing off  the  sledge,  he  unyoked  the  dogs,  and  com- 
menced building  a  hut  over  it,  which  might  also 
serve  us  at  night.  He  then  let  slip  his  dogs,  who 
went  off  at  full  speed,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight, 
as  the  nature  of  the  ground  did  not  allow  a  very 
extensive  view.  I  let  go  mine,  also  ;  but,  being 
unaccustomed  to  walking  in  the  snow,  I  could  not 
keep  up  with  Ickmallick  ;  so  he  slackened  his  pace, 
refusing  to  leave  me  behind,  though  I  urged  him  to 
do  so,  lest  we  should  lose  our  expected  prey.  He 
assured  me,  however,  that  the  dogs  would  take  very 
good  care  of  their  own  business.  We  went  on,  there- 
fore, laboriously  enough  for  two  hours,  over  a  very 
rugged  country,  and  through  deep  snow  ;  when  find- 
ing that  the  footsteps  of  the  dogs  no  longer  followed 
that  of  the  oxen,  he  concluded  that  they  had  got  up 
with  the  animals,  and  were,  probably,  holding  one, 
or  both,  at  bay. 

We  soon  found,  on  turning  a  hill,  that  this  wa8 
the  fact ;  when  the  sight  of  a  fine  ox,  at  bay,  be- 
fore the  three  dogs,  cured  my  fatigue  in  an  instant, 
and  we  went  off,  ourselves,  at  full  speed,  to  the 
rescue. 

Ickmallick,  however,  kept  the  lead,  and  was  in 
the  act  of  discharging  his  second  arrow,  when  I 
came  up.  We  saw  that  it  had  struck  on  a  rib 
since  it  fell  out  without  ever  diverting  the  at- 
tention of  the  animal  from  the  dogs,  which  con- 
tinued barking  and  dodging  round  it ;  seizing  it  by 
the  heels  whenever  they  had  an  opportunity,  or 
when  it  turned  to  escape,  and  then  retreating  as  it 
faced  them. 

In  the  mean  time,  it  was  trembling  wif.h  rage, 
fcnd  laboring  to  reach  its  active  assailants,  but,  ex- 


HIS    fcARLY    LIFE    A  SD    AI  VENTURES.        35T 

perienced  as  they  were  in  this  service,  unable  t<s 
touch  them.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  my  companion's 
weapons  were  of  little  value  in  this  warfare ;  or,  at 
least,  that  victory  would  not  have  been  gained 
under  many  hours  ;  as  he  continued  to  shoot  with- 
out apparent  effect,  finding  his  opportunities  for  an 
aim  with  much  difficulty,  and  losing  much  time 
afterwards  in  recovering  his  arrows. 

i  therefore  thought  it  was  time  to  show  what  I 
fould  do  with  my  mysterious  weapon,  and  putting 
in  a  ball,  I  fired  at  the  animal,  at  about  fifteen 
yards  from  it.  The  ball  took  effect,  and  it  fell ;  but 
ribing  again,  it  made  a  sudden  dart  at  us,  very 
nearly  catching  me,  as  I  sprang  aside.  Fortunately 
there  was  a  rock  rising  out  of  the  ground  close  to 
us.  Behind  this  we  dodged,  when  the  ox,  rushing 
at  it  with  all  its  force,  struck  its  head  with  tre- 
mendous violence  against  it. 

The  animal  fell  down,  stunned  for  the  moment, 
with  a  crash,  which  made  the  hard  ground  echo  to 
the  sound.  On  this  Ickmallick  leaped  forward,  and 
attempted  to  stab  it  with  his  knife  ;  but  it  was  in- 
stantly up  again,  and  he  was  obliged  to  run  for 
shelter  behind  the  dogs,  which  came  forward  to 
renew  the  attack.  Bleeding  profusely  as  the  animal 
was,  its  long  hair  down  its  sides  being  matted  with 
blood,  yet  its  rage  and  strength  seemed  undimin- 
•shed,  as  it  continued  rushing  forward,  and  butting 
with  the  same  ferocity  as  before. 

In  the  mean  time,  I  had  re-loaded  my  gun  behind 
the  rock,  and  was  advancing  to  tf».ke  another  shot, 
when  the  animal  darted  towards  me,  to  the  great 
alarm  of  my  friend,  who  thought  I  should  b»f  killed. 
He  called  to  me  to  return  to  my  shelter,  but  I  had 
time,  I  felt,  for  a  cool  aim.  I  fired,  and  the  animal 
fell,  not  five  yards  from  me.  The  sight  of  his  fallen 


358  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

enemy  made  my  companion  scream  and  dance  with 
joy,  and  on  his  coming  up  it  was  dead. 

On  examining  it,  we  discovered  that  the  last  ball 
had  passed  through  the  heart.  From  the  habits  of 
the  Esquimaux,  I  expected  that  my  friend  would 
have  lost  no  time  in  extracting  a  dinner  out  of  the 
ox ;  but  I  found  that  I  had  done  him  injustice,  and 
that  his  prudence  was  more  powerful  than  his 
stomach 

He  was  satisfied  with  mixing  some  of  the  warm 
blood  with  snow,  thus  dissolving  as  much  as  he  re- 
quired to  quench  his  thirst,  M.a  he  then  immediately 
proceeded  to  skin  the  animal,  knowing  very  well, 
what  I  might  have  recollected,  that  the  operation 
would  shortly  become  impossible,  in  consequence  of 
the  severity  of  the  cold,  which  would  soon  freeze  the 
whole  into  an  impracticable  mass. 

For  the  same  reason  he  divided  the  carcass  into 
four  parts,  that  we  might  be  better  able  to  lift  it. 
As  we  were  unable  to  carry  off  our  prize,  we  built 
a  snow  hut  over  it,  setting  up  marks  that  we  might 
know  the  spot  again.  We,  however,  took  away  a 
small  portion  for  a  meal,  which  on  reaching  our 
abode  we  cooked,  and  found  excellent. 

We  were  up  by  day-light,  to  go  in  search  of 
the  other  ox,  the  traces  of  which  we  had  seen. 
We  searched  for  it  for  two  hours,  when  we  discov- 
ered it  grazing  on  the  top  of  a  hill  free  from  snow. 
There  was  only  one  path  by  which  it  could  escape 
That  we  occupied,  and  as  we  advanced  rapidly  to- 
wards it,  our  shouts,  and  the  loud  barking  of  the 
dogs,  alarmed  it. 

First  it  seemed  as  if  it  would  rush  at  us,  but  its 
heart  failed  it,  and  it  turned  and  fled.  There  waa 
a  precipice  before  it ;  but  it  either  did  not  see  it, 
or  fancied  that  it  could  leap  to  the  bottom  in  safe- 
ty. We  observed  it  disappear,  and  I  thought  il 


me  EARLY  L.PE  AND  ADVENTURES.     359 

was  lost,  and  on  reaching  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  it 
Was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  My  friend,  however, 
beckoned  nie  to  accompany  him,  and  winding  down 
the  hill,  we  found  the  animal  at  the  bottom  of  the 
precipice,  killed  by  the  fall. 

It  was  cut  up  in  the  same  way  as  the  first,  and 
a  snow  hut  was  built  over  it. 

We  employed  the  next  day  in  bringing  up  the 
flesh  and  skins  of  the  oxen  to  our  hut ;  and  fortu- 
nate it  was  that  we  did  so,  for  it  snowed  so  hard 
that  I  do  not  think  we  should  otherwise  have  been 
able  to  find  the  spot  where  we  had  left  them.  We 
were  out  looking  for  more  oxen,  when,  being  on  some 
high  ground,  I  saw  some  dark  objects  to  the  north, 
advancing  over  the  snow  in  a  line  which  would  bring 
them  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  where  we  were. 

I  pointed  them  out  to  Ickmallick  ;  but  his  keen 
eye  had  perceived  them.  They  were  a  herd  of  deer 
migrating  to  the  south.  They  travelled  on  at  a 
rapid  rate,  not  stopping  to  graze,  nor  turning  to  the 
right  hand  nor  to  the  left.  My  companion  pulled 
me  by  the  sleeve,  and  urged  me  down  the  hill, 
where  he  beckoned  me  to  take  up  my  post  behind 
a  snow  wall,  which  he,  with  the  greatest  rapidity, 
threw  up. 

We  had  scarcely  knelt  down  when  the  herd  ap- 
peared in  sight,  dashing  onward.  I  waited  till  1 
could  get  a  good  shot,  and  fired  at  a  fine  buck.  I 
hit  him  ;  but  he  continued  his  course  with  his  com- 
panions. We  thought  he  was  lost  to  us ;  but  he 
very  soon  dropped  behind  the  rest.  On  this  Ick- 
mallick let  slip  the  dogs,  which  he  had  held  all  the 
time  in  leashes.  They  were  very  soon  at  the  stag's 
heels,  and  brought  him  to  bay.  He  was  a  fine  ob- 
ject, as  he  stood  conspicuous  on  the  white  sheet  of 
snow,  now  tinged  with  the  blood  which  flowed  from 
Ulb  side,  his  antlers  still  raised  in  d.efiance  at  the 


360  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

dogs  barking  round  him,  and  yet  scarcely  daring 
to  attack  him.  Though  deserted  by  his  companions, 
he  fought  nobly  ;  but  he  was  already  exhausted  by 
loss  of  blood,  and  could  no  longer  ward  off  the  at- 
tacks of  the  dogs  at  his  throat. 

At  last  he  sunk ;  and  we  were  just  in  time  to 
prevent  him  from  being  torn  to  pieces  by  the  rav- 
enous dogs.  A  stroke  from  Ickmallick's  knife  put 
an  end  to  his  torture  ;  and  gladly  would  I  have 
avoided  the  reproachful  glance  of  his  eye  as  the 
weapon  struck  him.  This  unexpected  good  fortune 
made  my  companion  resolve  to  return  home ;  and 
he  seemed  to  regret  that  he  had  not  brought  an- 
other sledge,  to  carry  back  our  game. 

The  deer  was  prepared,  as  had  been  the  oxen ; 
and  going  back  to  the  hut  for  a  sledge,  we  conveyed 
it  there  before  night. 

Ickmallick,  to  my  astonishment,  made  a  dish  of 
the  vegetable  contents  of  the  intestines,  which  he 
seemed  to  consider  very  excellent,  though  I  could 
not  prevail  upon  myself  to  taste  it. 

The  next  morning  we  started  on  our  journey 
homeward.  I  could  not  recognise  the  face  of  the 
country,  it  was  so  covered  with  snow  ;  and  still  lesa 
could  I  have  found  my  way  against  the  heavy  snow 
which  was  driving  in  our  faces. 

It  was  slow  work,  for  we  had  in  several  places 
partly  to  unload  the  sledge,  and  to  go  forward,  then 
to  return  for  the  remainder  of  our  property.  It 
was,  however,  satisfactory  to  feel  that  we  were  in- 
dependent of  inns  and  innkeepers,  and  that  we  had 
ample  means  of  making  ourselves  comfortable  at 
night.  As  usual,  when  it  began  to  grow  dark,  we 
built  our  hut,  lighted  our  fire,  cooked  our  supper, 
made  our  beds,  and  were  very  soon  fast  asleep. 

I  awoke  at  the  us  aal  hour,  feeling  rather  oppress- 
ed with  the  heat.  J  then  aroused  my  companion. 


HI8    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      361 

whose  slumbers  were  heavy,  after  the  five  or  six 
pounds  of  solid  flesh  he  had  devoured,  and  enquired 
what  was  the  cause  of  this.  He  pointed  to  the 
door  of  the  hut,  which  I  found  was  completely 
blocked  up  with  snow.  He  laughed,  to  show  me 
that  there  was  nothing  to  fear,  and  began  making 
preparations  for  breakfast. 

On  further  examination  of  the  state  of  things,  I 
found  that  we  were  snowed  in  ;  but  to  what  depth 
I  could  not  say,  further  than  that,  as  six  to  seven 
feet  frequently  fell  in  the  course  of  a  night,  I  sup- 
posed, as  was  the  case,  that  we  might  be  buried 
beneath  that  depth  of  snow.  This  seemed  to  make 
no  difference  to  Ickmallick,  for  he  eat  away  as 
heartily  as  usual,  and  then  packed  up  our  goods  in 
preparation  for  departure. 

Having  accomplished  this  task,  he  began  cutting 
away  the  snow,  so  as  to  form  a  passage  just  large 
enough  to  admit  his  body.  When  this  was  done, 
we  crept  through  it  into  the  cold  bleak  air  ;  and  it 
took  us  a  considerable  time  before  we  could  enlarge 
the  cavity  sufficiently  to  get  out  the  sledge  and  dogs 
with  our  goods.  The  heat,  with  the  wear  and  tear 
of  the  journey,  had  somewhat  damaged  the  runners 
of  the  sledge  ;  and  we  had  to  melt  some  snow,  and 
to  rub  it  hard  over  them,  before  the  conveyance  was 
fit  to  proceed.  The  day  closed  in  before  we  reached 
home  ;  but  Ickmallick  knew  the  road  too  well,  a8 
did  his  dogs,  to  make  it  necessary  to  stop. 

I  fancied  that  I  recognised  the  cliffs  of  the  coast 
in  the  distance,  when,  suddenly,  just  before  us,  I 
saw  some  pale  lights,  like  those  from  gigantic  glow- 
worms, rising  out  of  the  ground.  The  dogs  came 
to  a  stand-still,  and  voices  of  welcome  rising  from 
the  interior,  showed  me  that  we  had  arrived  at  the 
village,  now  covered  to  the  roofs  of  the  huts  by  the 
enow.  The  lights  I  saw  were  emitted  through  the 


362  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

ice  windows  in  them.  I  walked  on  to  our  own 
house,  where  I  found  all  my  companions  well  ; 
and  before  long  Ickmallick  brought  in  half  the 
deer,  and  a  quarter  of  one  of  the  oxen,  which  he 
seemed  to  consider  rny  share  of  the  produce  of  the 
chase. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

What  Cold  is.  —  An  Arctic  Night.  —  An  Aurora  Boreahs.  — 
Esquimaux  hunting  the  Walrus  on  the  Ice. — Seal  Catching. — 
How  we  employed  our  Time. — Propose  to  build  a  Vessel. — 
Andrew  instructs  us. — Daylight  returns. 

WE  thought  that  we  had  known  what  cold  was 
when  the  winter  first  began  ;  but  when  a  strong 
northerly  wind  commenced,  having  passed  over 
either  a  frozen  sea  or  sheet  of  snow,  then  we  really 
felt  how  hard  it  could  freeze.  Even  the  Esqui- 
maux kept  within  their  snow  huts,  and  we  could  not 
venture  beyond  the  shelter  of  our  snow  wall,  with- 
out instantly  having  our  faces  frost-bitten. 

It  was  not  till  the  last  day  of  November  that  we 
entirely  lost  sight  of  the  sun,  and  the  long  Arctic 
night  commenced.  But  the  night  of  that  region 
cannot  be  compared  to  the  dark  gloomy  nights  of 
more  southern  climes.  Overhead  the  sky  was  gene- 
rally beautifully  clear,  and  the  moon  or  stars  shining 
on  the  snow,  gave  a  light  scarcely  less  bright  than 
that  of  day. 

About  noon,  also,  there  was  always  a  twilight , 
and  in  clear  weather,  a  beautiful  arch  of  bright  red 
light  was  seen  over  the  southern  horizon.  Besides 
this,  the  aurora  borealis  frequently  lighted  up  the 
sky  with  its  brilliant  hues,  like  some  magnificent 
firework  on  a  grand  scale.  I  watched  a  very  beau- 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       363 

tiful  aurora  one  night  in  the  south-west,  -which 
extended  its  glowing  radiance  as  far  as  the  zenith. 

Fancy  a  bright  arch  suddenly  bursting  forth  in 
the  dark  blue  sky,  sending  up  streamers  of  many 
hues,  orange,  crimson,  and  purple,  while  bright 
coruscations  were  emitted  from  it,  completely  ob- 
scuring the  stars  in  the  neighborhood.  Two  bright 
nebulae  afterwards  appeared  beneath  ^  -tnd  abouc 
two  o'clock  it  broke  up  into  fragments,  the  corusca 
tions  becoming  more  frequent  and  irregular,  till  it 
vanished  entirely. 

Even  during  the  coldest  weather,  provided  there 
w.-ifi  no  wind,  we  could  enjoy  ourselves  in  the  open 
air  ;  but  the  slightest  wind  made  us  feel  a  smarting 
sensation  all  over  the  face,  with  a  considerable  pain 
in  the  forehead.  We  could  not  touch  our  guns  in 
the  open  air  without  our  mittens  ;  and  when,  by 
accident,  one  of  us  put  his  hand  to  anything  iron,  it 
felt  as  if  it  was  red  hot,  and  took  off  the  flesh  exact- 
ly in  the  same  manner. 

We  were  very  comfortable  in  our  house,  but  we 
had  to  make  some  alterations.  We  found  it  better 
to  stop  up  the  chimney  of  our  stove,  and  to  use  the 
Bame  sort  of  lamp  as  the  natives,  which  we  were 
able  to  do.  as  we  were  well  supplied  with  seals  and 
walrus.  The  Esquimaux  used  to  hunt  the  walrus 
throughout  the  winter,  and  would  frequently  venture 
out  to  sea  on  floating  masses  of  ice  to  attack  them, 
trusting  to  the  wind  to  bring  them  back  again  with 
their  prize. 

When  a  walrus  is  struck  near  the  edge  of  a  floe 
the  hunter  fastens  the  line  of  his  harpoon  round  his 
body,  and  places  his  feet  firmly  against  a  hummock 
of  ice,  in  which  position  he  can  withstand  the  very 
heavy  strain  of  the  struggling  animal. 

Seals  are  taken  in  a  less  dangerous  way,  but  one 
which  requires  very  great  perseverance.  As  seals 


3C4  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

require  to  breathe,  they  have  to  make  holes  in  the 
ice  for  this  purpose  ;  and  the  Esquimaux  watch  for 
.hem  as  they  are  thus  employed.  Immediately  that 
a  man  discovers  by  listening  that  a  seal  is  working 
beneath  the  ice,  he  builds  a  snow  wall  about  four 
feet  in  height  to  shelter  him  from  the  wind,  and 
seating  himself  under  the  lee  of  it,  deposits  his 
spear-lines  and  other  implements  upon  several  little 
forked  sticks,  inserted  into  the  snow,  to  prevent  the 
slightest  noise  being  made  in  moving  them  when 
wanted.  He  also  ties  his  own  knees  together  with 
a  thong,  to  prevent  any  rustling  of  his  clothes. 

To  ascertain  if  the  seal  is  still  at  work,  he  pierces 
through  the  ice  with  a  slender  rod  of  bone,  with  a 
knob  at  the  end  of  it.  If  this  is  moved,  he  knows 
that  the  animal  is  at  work ;  if  it  remains  quiet,  he 
knows  that  he  has  deserved  the  spot. 

When  the  hole  is  nearly  completed,  the  hunter 
lifts  his  spear,  with  its  line  attached  ;  and  as  soon 
as  the  blowing  of  the  seal  is  distinctly  heard,  and 
the  ice  consequently  very  thin,  he  drives  it  into 
him  with  the  force  of  both  arms,  and  then  cuts 
away  the  remaining  crust  of  ice,  to  enable  him  to 
repeat  the  wounds,  and  to  get  him  out.  A  man 
will  thus  watch  for  hours  together,  with  a  tempera- 
ture of  30  degrees  below  zero. 

We  were  able  to  kill  a  good  many  with  our  guns 
at  a  distance  as  they  lay  on  the  ice,  when  no  one 
could  have  approached  near  them.  Our  sporting, 
on  the  whole,  was  tolerably  successful,  for  we  killed 
a  quantity  of  ptarmigans,  grouse,  and  other  birds, 
besides  several  white  hares.  We  also  killed  seve- 
ral foxes,  and  a  quantity  of  wolves,  which  came 
prowling  round  our  house,  and  would,  I  doubt  not, 
nave  carried  off  any  of  our  dogs  or  provisions  they 
could  have  got  at. 

Thus  the  winter  passed  iway  without  an}  ad 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       865 

ventures  particularly  worth  recording.  The  sun 
was  below  the  horizon  for  about  six  weeks ;  and 
though  only  for  a  short  period  at  a  time,  we  gladly 
once  more  welcomed  the  sight  of  his  beams. 

Our  Esquimaux  friends  continued  on  very  good 
terms  with  us  ;  and  with  our  assistance,  they  were 
always  well  supplied  with  food.  Andrew  took 
great  precautions  about  our  health,  and  advised 
us  to  take  daily  some  of  the  pickles  and  preserved 
fruits  we  had  discovered,  to  assist  in  keeping  off 
the  scurvy;  as  also  a  daily  supply  of  fresh  meat, 
whether  of  fish  or  flesh  ;  and  we  very  soon  got  over 
any  objection  we  might  have  had  to  seal's  blubber 
dressed  in  Esquimaux  fashion. 

During  calm  weather,  we  paid  numerous  visits 
to  the  ship,  to  bring  away  things  we  might  require ; 
and  we  were  able  to  afford  our  friends  what  was  to 
them  an  almost  inexhaustible  supply  of  wood. 
Without  the  aid  of  our  saws  and  hatchets  they 
could  not  cut  away  the  stout  timbers  and  planks  ; 
and  as  we  had  removed  the  bulkheads  and  lining 
of  the  ship,  with  the  remaining  spars,  their  honesty 
was  not  as  much  tempted  as  it  otherwise  might 
have  been. 

Our  time  did  not  hang  on  our  hands  nearly  as 
heavily  as  might  be  supposed.  "VVe,  in  the  first 
place,  employed  ourselves  in  manufacturing  the 
skins  of  the  animals  we  killed  into  garments  of  all 
sorts — mittens,  boots,  jackets,  and  caps — so  that 
we  were  all  of  us  clothed,  from  head  to  foot,  very 
much  in  the  fashion  of  the  Esquimaux. 

We  took  some  trouble  to  trim  our  jackets  and 
caps  with  fur  of  different  colors,  as  they  do,  and 
the  effect  produced  was  very  good.  We  also  made 
models  of  sledges,  and  canoes,  and  of  all  the  articles 
used  by  our  friends,  which  seemed  to  please  them 
very  much,  though,  I  confess,  they  were  not  more 


366  PETER    THE    WE  iLER, 

neatly  made  than  theirs,  in  spite  of  our  superioi 
tools. 

When  tired  of  work,  we  used  to  sit  round  our 
lamp  at  night,  and  narrate  our  past  adventures,  or 
invent  stories,  some  of  which  were  very  ingenious 
and  amusing,  and  were  well  worth  writing  down ; 
indeed,  I  regret  that  my  space  will  not  allow  me  to 
give  some,  which  I  remember  very  well,  for  I  took 
pains  to  impress  them  on  my  memory,  thinking 
them  worth  preserving.  If  my  young  friends  ex- 
press any  wish  to  hear  them,  I  shall  be  very  glad, 
at  some  future  time,  to  write  them  down  for  their 
amusement. 

But  the  subject  which  naturally  occupied  our 
chief  attention,  was  the  means  we  should  take  to 
regain  our  native  land.  We  could  not  hope  that 
any  whalers  would  visit  the  coast  till  August  at 
the  soonest ;  and  even  then  it  was  not  certain  that 
they  would  come  at  all.  David,  who  was  our  au- 
thority on  such  matters,  said  that  he  had  known 
some  years  when  the  ships  could  not  pass  the  mid- 
dle ice  through  Baffin's  Bay  to  Pond's  Bay  ;  and 
that,  consequently,  we  might  have  to  pass  another 
year  in  that  place,  unless  we  could  escape  through 
our  own  exertions. 

On  this,  the  idea  was  started  of  building  a  ves- 
sel, and  attempting  to  reach  Newfoundland  in  her, 
or  to  try  and  fall  in  with  some  whaler  at  the  en- 
trance of  Davis'  straits. 

I  cannot  say  that  I  very  much  approved  of  this 
plan.  I  had  great  confidence  in  Andrew's  discre- 
tion, and  I  knew  both  him  and  David  to  be  expe- 
rienced seamen  ;  but  neither  of  them  knew  anything 
fcbom  navigation  :  indeed,  David  could  neither  read 
«»or  wrice  ;  and  though  we  might  possibly  be  able  to 
find  our  way  through  the  ice,  when  once  we  got  clear, 
w*  might  lose  it,  and  be  wrecked  on  a  worse  coas* 


1I1S    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      ti 

than  the  one  we  were  desirous  of  quitting  How,  also, 
could  such  a  vessel  as  we  had  the  means  of  building 
be  expected  to  withstand  the  slightest  pressure  of 
the  ice  ?  and,  from  the  experience  we  had  had,  1 
did  not  think  it  likely  Ave  should  be  able  to  get  to 
the  south,  without  encountering  some  of  those  fear- 
ful contests,  in  which  we  had  seen  other  vessels 
destroyed. 

However,  day  after  day  we  talked  about  it ;  and, 
at  least,  it  served  to  beguile  the  time,  though  no- 
thing definite  was  determined  on.  We  had,  unfor- 
tunately, no  books  ;  for  those  we  found  in  the  ship, 
we  could  not  read.  I  had,  however,  a  small  note- 
book in  my  pocket,  and  with  my  pencil,  which  1 
used  very  carefully,  I  kept  a  sort  of  journal  across 
the  leaves  of  the  foreign  books,  thus  turning  them 
to  some  account. 

Had  it  not  been  for  Andrew,  I  am  afraid  that 
few  of  us  would  have  shown  any  attention  to  our 
religious  duties  ;  but  he,  by  degrees,  drew  the 
minds  even  of  the  most  thoughtless  to  the  subject 
of  religion,  till  all  acknowledged  its  importance  and 
beauty.  He  explained  to  us,  to  the  best  of  his 
power,  the  truths  of  Christianity,  of  which  most  of 
us  had  before  a  very  slight  and  imperfect  knowledge. 
He  also  proposed,  that  we  should  unitedly  offer  up 
our  prayers  to  Heaven  every  morning  and  evening', 
and  from  that  time  we  never  failed  in  that  impor- 
tant duty. 

As  I  think  over  the  prayers  used  by  that  good 
man,  although  the  words  and  sentences  might  have 
been  somewhat  unpolished,  I  feel  that  the  senti- 
ment.* could  not  have  been  surpassed  by  the  most 
highly-educated  clergyman,  for  this  reason,  that 
they  came  from  an  enlightened  mind  with  an  ear- 
nest spirit.  No  words,  indeed,  could  be  more  ap- 
propriate to  our  condition  than  those  he  used. 


368  PETER    THE    WHALKR, 

Early  in  February  the  sun  again  made  his  ap- 
pearance, and  the  day,  including  twilight,  might  be 
Baid  to  last  from  eight  o'clock  to  four ;  so  that  we 
had  not  a  very  much  shorter  day  than  people  in 
London.  The  weather,  however,  was  colder  than 
ever,  and  we  were  less  able  to  be  exposed  to  the 
air,  for  any  length  of  time,  than  during  the  dark 
months. 

About  the  middle  of  March  there  were  slight 
signs  of  a  thaw — the  snow  being  glazed  over  in  the 
evening,  as  if  the  sun  had  some  effect  on  it.  We 
also  felt  a  sensible  improvement  in  the  temperature, 
and  were  soon  able,  not  only  to  wash  our  clothes, 
but  to  dry  them  in  the  open  air,  an  operation  which 
rather  astonished  our  Esquimaux  friends. 

Early  in  May,  there  was  a  perceptible  twilight 
at  midnight,  so  that  we  felt  the  summer  had  once 
more  begun. 

A  little  later,  ptarmigan,  grouse,  and  other  birds 
made  their  appearance,  and  the  Esquimaux  report- 
ed, that  they  had  seen  the  tracks  of  deer  and  musk 
oxen.  Still,  far  out  to  sea,  there  was  the  same 
dreary  flat  expanse  of  ice,  covered  with  a  sheet  of 
snow. 

I  ought  to  have  mentioned,  that,  for  the  sake  of 
being  nearer  the  edge  of  the  ice,  where  seals  could 
be  caught,  some  of  our  friends  had  built  for  them- 
selves snow  huts  on  the  ice.  For  this  purpose  they 
completely  swept  away  the  snow,  leaving  a  flooring 
of  clear  ice,  which  was  of  the  richest  and  most 
splendid  blue  that  nature  aifords.  I  thought  to 
myself,  with  these  simple  materials,  what  a  magni- 
ficent palace  might  be  built,  far  surpassing  any 
other  style  of  edifice. 

The  increasing  warmth  of  the  weather  now  enab- 
ling us  to  work  out  of  doors  for  several  hours  to- 
gether, it  was  once  more  seriously  prr posed,  that 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURKS.       369 

we  should  begin  to  build  a  boat,  or,  as  somo  insisted 
on  calling  her,  a  vessel,  to  carry  us  home.  I  asked 
Andrew  what  he  thought  on  the  subject  ;  for  he 
had  not  expressed  any  very  strong  opinion  either 
one  way  or  the  other.  He  replied,  that  he  thought 
there  could  be  no  harm  in  trying  to  build  a  small 
vessel — that  we  had  an  abundance  of  materials  and 
tools,  with  provisions — and  that,  if  we  could  con- 
trive to  make  her  sea-worthy,  we  might  manage  to 
reach  one  of  the  places  to  the  south  constantly  visit- 
ed by  whalers  ;  but,  if  not,  we  must  be  content  to 
wait  till  some  ship  might  pass  in  the  autumn. 

He  owned,  that  he,  for  one,  should  not  be  inclined 
to  venture  out  of  sight  of  land  ;  and  that,  provided 
we  took  a  good  supply  of  provisions  with  us,  our 
fire-arms  and  powder,  our  harpoons  and  lances, 
after  the  experience  we  had  had,  we  could  not 
come  to  much  harm,  even  if  we  were  compelled  to 
weather  out  another  winter  in  the  Arctic  regions. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

We  begin  our  Vessel. — The  Esquimaux  regret  to  lose  us. — An- 
drew urges  us  not  to  work  on  a  Sunday. — Capability  of  the 
Esquimaux  for  receiving  the  Truths  of  Christianity. — We 
complete  our  Vessel. — Provision  and  store  her. — Our  Vessel 
destroyed. — A  Ship  in  the  Clouds. — Doubts. — A  Ship  appears. 
— Farewell  to  the  Esquimaux. — Voyage. — Wreck. — Reach  my 
Father's  Home  a  Beggar. — No  one  at  Home. — Meet  Captain 
Dean. — See  my  Family  once  more,  and  Mary  Dean. 

HAVING  determined  to  build  a  vessel,  we  set  to 
work  with  great  energy  ;  and  we  hoped,  by  inge- 
nuity and  perseverance,  to  make  amends  for  our 
want  of  skill  and  knowledge. 

Our  first  task  was  to  break  up  the  wreck,  and  to 


y  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

convey  it.  piece-meal,  to  the  bay  ;  and  in  this  -work 
we  were  ably  assisted  by  the  Esquimaux,  who  un- 
derstood, that,  whatever  portion  we  did  not  require, 
was  to  be  their  perquisite.  They  also  shrewdly 
suspected,  that  we  should  leave  them,  if  we  went 
away,  many  of  the  other  treasures  we  had  in  our 
possession.  I  believe,  however,  that  they  really 
had  formed  a  sincere  regard  for  us,  and  were  sorry 
to  find  that  we  were  about  to  depart ;  at  the  same 
time,  that  they  consoled  themselves,  as  more  civil- 
ised people  are  apt  to  do  under  similar  circum- 
stances, with  the  reflection,  that  we  should  leave 
something  behind  us. 

We  first  had  to  carry  to  our  store  the  remainder 
of  the  salted  provisions  ;  which,  had  they  been  left 
a  single  night  on  board,  after  the  hatches  were  re- 
moved, the  bears  would  inevitably  have  got  hold  of. 
We  then  carried  off  such  part  of  the  deck  as  we  re- 
quired, with  some  of  the  timbers  and  planks. 

As  we  could  not  get  at  the  keel,  we  were  obliged 
to  content  ourselves  with  the  main-mast,  to  serve  as 
a  keel  for  our  new  vessel.  We  laid  her  down  close 
to  the  beach,  just  above  high-water  mark,  with  a 
carriage-sledge  under  her,  so  as  to  be  able  to  launch 
her  over  the  ice.  Our  intention  was,  to  make  her  a 
vessel  of  about  sixteen  to  twenty  tons,  which  was 
as  large  as  our  materials  would  allow,  and  to  rig 
her  as  a  schooner,  for  the  same  reason,  and  because 
she  would  thus  be  more  easily  handled. 

After  much  discussion,  as  to  the  ways  and  means, 
we  laid  down  the  keel,  and  set  up  the  stem  and 
stern.  We  next  commenced  on  the  ribs,  which  puz- 
zled us  much  more  to  shape  them,  so  as  to  make  the 
sides  of  the  form  we  wished,  and  one  side  to  corres- 
pond with  the  other.  However,  there  is  an  old  say- 
ing, that,  "  Where  there's  a  will  there's  a  way;" 
and,  though  not  always  true,  it  was  so  in  our  case, 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      311 

though  we  expended  six  times  as  much  labor  and 
time  as  we  should  have  done,  had  there  been  a  good 
carpenter  among  us  to  superintend  our  work.  We 
were  unwearied  in  our  labors  ;  we  worked  all  day, 
and  great  part  of  the  night,  too,  for  we  all  felt,  that, 
011  getting  it  done  in  time,  depended  our  escape 
from  those  icy  regions  that  year. 

I  have  described  our  imprisonment  as  passed 
more  pleasantly  than  we  could  have  expected  ;  but 
yet  none  of  us  desired  to  spend  another  winter  in 
the  same  way  ;  and  most  of  us  had  some  friends  or 
relations  whom  we  wished  again  to  see,  and  to  re- 
lieve from  the  anxiety  they  must  be  feeling  on  our 
account. 

We  should  have  worked  on  Sundays  ;  but  Andrew 
Thompson  urged  us  to  desist.  Some  of  the  men 
answered,  that  we  were  working  in  a  good  cause,  as 
we  should  the  sooner  be  able  to  return  home. 

"  It  is  the  Lord's  day ;  and  he  says  we  shall  not 
work  on  it,"  answered  Andrew.  "  Therefore,  it  is 
wrong  to  work  on  it ;  and,  depend  upon  it,  he  never 
intends  us  to  do  wrong  that  good  may  come  out  of 
it.  We  are  building  a  vessel,  which  we  think,  may 
be  the  means  of  saving  us  ;  but  he  may  have  ar- 
ranged differently,  and,  after  all  our  labor,  it  might 
prove  our  destruction." 

Terence,  Tom,  and  I,  at  once  said  we  would  fol- 
low Andrew's  advice  ;  and  one  or  two  of  the  others 
added,  that  they  were  not  going  to  work  for  us  if 
we  chose  to  be  idle,  so  the  Sabbath  became  a  day  of 
rest.  The  Esquimaux  wondered  when  they  observed 
this,  and  enquired  why  every  seventh  day  we  de- 
sisted from  work,  though  so  anxious  to  get  our  ship 
built. 

Andrew  then  explained  to  them  that  we  were 
commanded  to  do  so  by  the  God  we  worshipped ; 
and  that,  if  we  disobeyed  his  laws,  he  would  be 


372  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

angry  with  as,  and  that  we  could  net  expect  tn 
prosper. 

Our  knowledge  of  their  language  was,  unfortu- 
nately, far  too  imperfect  to  enable  us  to  impart 
any  of  the  great  tenets  of  Christianity  to  them ; 
but  I  do  believe  that  this  reply,  and  the  exhibition 
of  obedience  to  the  commands  of  a  being,  whom  none 
of  us  saw,  yet  willingly  obeyed,  opened  their  minds, 
more  than  any  sermons  could  have  done,  to  receive 
those  truths,  whenever  they  may  be  offered  to  them. 

Many  a  time,  in  their  snow  tents,  will  those  un- 
tutored savages,  during  the  long  night  of  winter, 
talk  of  the  God  of  the  Kabbinae  (the  Europeans), 
and  worship  him  unknowingly  in  his  works.  They 
are  people  of  inquiring  minds — very  capable  of  re- 
ceiving instruction  ;  and  from  their  habits  and  dis- 
positions, I  feel  assured,  that  were  the  great  light 
of  the  Gospel  placed  before  them,  they  would  gladly 
receive  its  truths,  and  be  brought  into  Christ's 
flock  of  true  believers. 

Should  there  be  no  other  result,  from  the  gallant 
attempts  making  to  discover  a  north-west  passage 
round  the  continent  of  America,  than  that  by  those 
means  people  have  become  acquainted  with  the  con- 
dition of  vast  tribes  hitherto  little  known,  and 
thereby  it  has  been  put  into  the  hearts  of  some  of 
Christ's  true  soldiers  to  carry  his  Gospel  among 
them,  glorious  indeed  it  will  be. 

Who  can  say  that  the  finger  of  God  has  not 
directed  our  brave  countrymen  to  those  regions  for 
that  very  purpose,  although  they  themselves  are 
ignorant  of  the  influence  which  impels  them ;  and 
that  its  having  been  shown  how  easily  the  rigora 
of  an  Arctic  winter  may  be  withstood,  ere  long 
missionaries  may  be  on  their  way  to  reside  among^ 
the  northern,  as  Christian  men  have  for  long  residea 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      373 

among  the  southern  tribes  of  Esquimaux  for  the 
same  holy  purpose.  J 

We  got  on  very  triskly  with  our  vessel.  She 
was  not  very  sightly,  certain-ly  ;  but  we  thought  she 
would  be  strong,  which  was  of  more  importance. 
After  much  discussion,  we  determined  to  give  her 
a  round  stern,  as  more  likely  to  withstand  a  blow 
from  the  ice.  Her  floors  were  very  flat,  which  was 
very  much  owing  to  the  shape  of  the  timbers,  which 
we  could  not  alter ;  but  this  was  not  a  fault,  as  she 
would  better  have  borne  being  thrown  on  the  ice. 

When  we  came  to  planking  her,  we  found  great 
difficulty  in  making  the  planks  fit  the  ribs,  as  any 
one  conversant  with  ship-building  may  suppose ; 
and  we  had  to  fill  up  under  the  planks  in  many 
places,  to  secure  them  to  the  timbers.  We  resolved 
that  she  should  be  very  strong  ;  so  we  almost  filled 
her  with  beams,  and  double  planked  her  over,  after 
having  caulked  the  first  planking. 

We  had  less  difficulty  in  laying  down  the  deck  , 
but  for  the  size  of  the  vessel  it  was  very  thick,  and 
not  very  even.  Provided,  however,  it  was  water- 
tight, we  cared  nothing  for  other  defects. 

We  built  up  some  strong  high  bulwarks,  not  for- 
getting to  leave  ports  of  good  size  to  let  the  water 
run  off,  should  a  sea  break  on  board  us.  We  got 
two  spars  from  the  lower  yards  of  the  ship  which 
nerved  for  masts,  and  set  them  up  with  shrouds, 
though  as  most  of  the  rigging  of  the  ship  was  rot- 
ten, we  had  some  difficulty  in  finding  a  sufficient 
quantity. 

We  rigged  her  with  a  fore-and-aft  main-sail  and 
fore-sail,  and. a  square  top-sail  and  a  fore  stay-sail 
and  jib,  the  bowsprit  steeving  up  very  much,  so  that 
when  she  pitched,  there  might  be  less  chance  of  its 
being  carried  away. 

It  is  not  an  easy  job  to  cut  out  a  sail  well,  though 


374  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

there  appears  to  be  no  difficulty  in  it ;  and  I  must 
own  that  ours  did  not  look  very  well  when  we  first 
set  them,  but  by  alterations,  and  making  several 
patches,  we  got  them  to  stand  fairly  at  last, 

We  were  prudent,  and  made  two  suits,  besides 
ke-eping  a  supply  of  canvass  among  our  stores. 

Our  yards  and  gaffs  were  somewhat  heavy,  as  we 
had  no  proper  sized  spars  to  make  them  from.  We 
found  a  good  supply  of  rope  on  board  the  ship,  from 
which  we  fitted  our  running  rigging.  At  last  we 
had  a  vessel  of  some  twenty  to  five-and-twenty  tons, 
in  all  appearance  ready  for  sea. 

The  last,  and  not  the  least  important  task,  was 
to  select  the  stores  and  provisions  we  should  re- 
quire, and  to  make  the  casks  to  hold  the  water 
tight.  Had  we  had  a  carpenter  or  blacksmith 
among  us,  much  of  our  labor  might  have  been 
spared  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered,  that  we  had 
only  a  few  tools,  to  the  use  of  which  none  of  us  were 
accustomed,  and  that  nearly  every  nail  we  employ- 
ed we  had  to  draw  from  the  planks  and  to  straighten. 

By  the  end  of  August  our  task  was  accomplished, 
and  it  was  with  no  little  satisfaction  that  we  walk- 
ed^ound  and  round  our  vessel  to  survey  our  work. 

The  next  thing  to  be  done  was  to  move  her  over 
,the  ice  to  the  centre  of  the  bay,  where  about  two 
miles  off,  there  was  open  water.  When  once  we 
could  get  the  cradle  on  which  she  rested  on  the  ice, 
we  thought  our  task  would  be  easy  ;  but  to  set  it 
going  was  the  difficulty.  We  tried  every  means  we 
could  think  of,  but  the  heavy  mass  would  not  move. 

An  ordinary  built  vessel  of  fifteen  tons  could  not 
have  weighed  a  third  of  what  ours  did.  At  last  we 
bethought  ourselves  of  cutting  away  the  ground 
under  the  cradle,  and  of  placing  slips  of  ice  for  it  to 
run  on.  With  infinite  trouble,  and  no  little  risk, 
we  succeeded  in  doing  this.  We  gave  a  shout  of 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       375 

oy  as  we  saw  tur  craft  moving  towards  the  ice 
he  glided  slowly  at  first,  but  her  speed  increased. 
She  dashed  on ;  and  before  she  reached  the  ice, 
while  yet  on  the  beach,  the  cradle  gave  way,  and 
with  a  loud  crash  she  fell  over  on  her  side.  We 
were  in  despair,  and  some  gave  went  to  their  feel- 
ings in  expressions  of  bitter  complaint. 

We  might  shore  her  up,  and  afterwards  cut  a 
channel  for  her  through  the  ice,  if  she  had  escaped 
injury  ;  but  it  would  be  a  work  of  time,  and  the 
season  for  proceeding  to  the  south  might  be  lost. 

Most  of  the  Esquimaux  had  gone  away  to  catch 
salmon,  and  on  hunting  expeditions  ;  but  a  few  re- 
mained ;  and  though  they  expressed  great  regret 
at  our  misfortune,  they  seemed  glad  that  we  had 
less  chance  of  leaving  them. 

Andrew  was  the  only  one  among  us  who  was 
calm.  "  Come,  my  lads,"  he  said,  "  there's  no  use 
looking  at  what's  happened,  without  trying  to  set 
matters  to  rights  again.  If  we  stand  here  all  day, 
without  putting  our  hand  to  the  work,  we  shall  not 
get  the  craft  on  an  even  keel." 

His  taunting  words  aroused  us  to  exertion  ;  and 
it  was  proposed  to  get  the  vessel  up  by  driving 
wedges  of  ice  under  her  bilge  ;  and  since  the  cradle 
could  be  of  no  further  use,  to  build  a  way  for  her 
to  the  water,  or  to  where  the  ice  might  be  this 
enough  to  allow  us  to  break  it,  so  as  to  form  a  chan- 
nel for  her  to  float  through. 

We  labored  away  very  hard ;  but  our  want  of 
ecienti-fic  knowledge  made  us  despair  of  accomplish- 
ing the  task.  The  first  day  we  did  nothing — the 
next  we  set  to  work  again  ;  but  performed  little  of 
the  proposed  work. 

"  It's  of  no  use,  I  see,"  grumbled  David.  "  We 
may  as  well  make  up  our  minds  to  spend  the  rest 
of  our  davs  here." 


376  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

While  he  was  speaking,  and  all  hands  were  stand 
ing  doing  nothing,  I  happened  to  turn  my  eyes  to 
the  northward,  and  there  I  saw  what  appeared  to 
to  me  a  high  land,  covered  with  towers,  and  houses 
and  church-steeples,  with  trees  and  rocks  on  either 
side.  Under  the  land,  however,  appeared  a  thin 
line  of  water,  and  dividing  it  a  broad  gap,  as  it 
were  the  mouth  of  some  wide  river  or  fiord ;  but 
what  most  attracted  my  attention  was  an  inverted 
ship,  which  appeared  above  it  under  all  sail. 

I  at  once  guessed  that  this  extraordinary  appear- 
ance was  caused  by  refraction  ;  but  the  figure  of 
the  ship  puzzled  me.  It  was  so  perfect  in  every 
.respect  that  I  was  convinced  that  it  could  not  be 
an  ocular  illusion,  and  that  there  must  be  some 
real  ship,  and  that  this  was  her  reflection  in  the 
clouds.  I  pointed  her  out  to  my  companions ;  and 
when  they  saw  that  all  the  objects  were  continually 
changing,  and  that  she  remained  the  same,  they 
were  of  the  same  opinion.  We  therefore  resolved 
to  watch,  and  to  get  the  boat  ready  to  shove  off  to 
her  should  a  ship  appear  ;  at  the  same  time,  the 
great  uncertainty  of  what  might  really  be  the  case, 
prevented  us  from  feeling  any  exuberance  of  joy. 
It  was  already  late  in  the  day ;  but  none  of  us 
could  sleep,  so  eager  were  AVC  to  keep  a  look-out  for 
the  strange  ship. 

Hour  after  hour  passed  away,  and  still  no  vessel 
appeared  to  relieve  our  anxiety.  Some  of  the  rneu 
at  length  grew  weary  of  watching,  and  threw  them- 
selve^  on  their  beds  to  sleep. 

<;  It  was,  after  all,  to  my  inind,  but  a  fancy,"  ex- 
claimed Terence,  entering  the  hut  with  a  discon- 
tented air.  "  The  figure  we  saw  in  the  sky  waa 
very  like  a  ship  I  own ;  but  still  I'd  bet  anything 
it  was  no  ship  at  all." 

Andrew  and  L  still  held  that  it  was  a  ship. 


HIS    EARLY    LIFF    A*  X    AliVKNTURES.       3»  I 

i:Corne,  mates,"  said  David,  who  had  been  look 
ing  out  as  eagerly  as  any  of  us,  "  I've  sailed  these 
seas,  man  and  boy,  thirty  years  and  more,  and  so 
I've  a-  right  to  have  my  say.  Now  I've  often  seen 
just  such  a  sight  as  we  saw  yester  even  ;  sometimes 
we  fell  in  with  the  ship  we  saw  up  in  the  clouds 
like,  and  other  times  we  looked  for  her  and  she 
never  appeared,  so  we  supposed  that  it  must  have 
been  an  iceberg  in  the  figure  of  a  ship  which  we  had 
seen.  Therefore,  what  I  say  is,  that  what  we  saw 
may  be  a  ship  ;  but  if  she  was  a  ship,  then  she 
ought  to  have  been  off  here  by  this  time ;  but  if  it 
was  an  iceberg,  then  there's  no  use  troubling  our 
heads  about  it." 

David  having  thus  authoritatively  delivered  his 
opinion,  walked  into  the  hut  and  threw  himself  on 
his  bed,  thereby  proving  that  he  considered  the  ap- 
pearance we  had  seen  merely  the  reflection  of  an 
iceberg. 

I,  however,  still  held  to  my  first  opinion,  that  a 
real  ship  alone  could  have  created  a  figure  so  per- 
fect in  the  clouds.  Then  it  must  be  remembered 
that  I  had  seen  it  first,  and  that  the  appearance 
may  have  somewhat  altered  before  the  attention  of 
the  rest  was  called  to  it.  I,  however,  was  so  far 
biassed  by  David's  opinions,  that  I  went  and  threw 
myself  on  my  bed.  I  slept,  but  it  was  very  lightly  ; 
and  all  the  time  I  fancied  that  ships  were  gliding 
before  me,  and  that  their  crews  were  beckoning  me 
to  come  on  board. 

At  last,  so  strong  was  the  impression  on  my 
mind,  that  I  got  up,  and  went  to  our  look-out  place, 
on  the  top  of  the  nearest  hill.  Great,  alas  !  was 
my  disappointment,  when  the  same  dreary  expanse 
of  ice  and  water  met  my  eye,  without  a  sail  any 
where  to  be  seen. 

One  thing  struck  me,  that  the  whole  surface  of 

3F 


378  WETER  THE  WHALER, 

the  sea  was  as  calm  and  unruffled  as  the  intervening 
ice,  and  that  no  breath  of  air  was  stirring  in  the 
heavens.  The  sun  rose  as  I  watched,  gilding  the 
pinnacles  of  the  icebergs,  which  still  remained  fixed 
in  the  bay,  casting  a  silvery  hue  over  the  masses 
of  snow  yet  unmelted  on  the  hills,  and  making 
stronger  than  ever  the  contrast  between  the  pure 
white  of  the  snow-covered  ice,  and  the  deep  blue  of 
the  tranquil  ocean. 

"  At  all  events,"  I  thought,  "  no  ship  can  ap- 
proach us  from  any  quarter,  unless  a  breeze  should 
spring  up,  and  till  then  I  may  rest  in  peace."  So  I 
again  turned  in,  and  slept  as  soundly  as  I  had  ever 
done  in  my  life. 

I  was  aroused  by  my  companions,  who  summoned 
me  to  come  and  assist  them  in  launching  our  vessel. 
"We  all  set  to  work  again  with  a  will,  and  after  infi- 
nite labor,  we  got  her  once  more  shored  up  ;  but  to 
drive  her  towards  the  element  on  which  we  intended 
her  to  float  was  another  affair. 

At  last  we  thought  that  we  had  succeeded.  If 
we  could  but  move  her  a  few  more  feet  she  would 
be  on  the  ice.  Once  more  she  glided  on  ;  but  on 
reaching  the  ice,  the  impetus  she  acquired  was  so 
great,  that  the  shores  gave  way,  and  with  a  greater 
force  than  before  she  fell  over  on  her  side  ;  and  in 
spite  of  the  stout  timbers  and  thick  planking,  from 
the  imperfection  of  our  workmanship,  she  was 
fairly  bilged. 

~\Ve  were  most  of  us  differently  affected.  Some 
gave  way  to  despair,  and  uttered  imprecations  on 
their  ill  luck,  as  they  called  it — others  actually 
wept  with  grief,  while  Andrew  looked  on  with  calm 
composure. 

"  Mates,"  he  said,  turning  to  those  who  were 
loudest  in  their  impious  expressions  of  discontent, 
u  I  have  always  said  that  everything  happens  for 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.        879 

the  best;  and  in  this  case,  depend  upon  it,  we 
shall  find  it  so.  From  the  damage  our  vessel  has 
suffered  from  the  slight  shock  she  received,  it 
is  clear  that  she  could  not.  for  a  moment,  have 
withstood  a  common  nip  ;  and  let  me  ask  ycu,  is  it 
not  better  to  remain  here  even  for  another  year, 
till  a  ship  takes  us  off,  than  to  be  thrown  on  a  sud- 
den on  a  floe,  with  only  our  whale-boat  to  preserve 
us,  and,  perhaps,  without  time  to  save  our  clothes 
or  provisions.  Let  us,  rather  than  be  discontented, 
believe  that  God  in  this,  as  in  everything  else,  has 
ordered  all  for  our  good." 

The  calm  confident  tone  in  which  Andrew  spoke 
had  a  great  effect  on  his  hearers,  and  not  another 
word  of  complaint  was  uttered.  While  we  were  at 
work,  we  had  not  noticed  that  a  breeze  had  sprung 
up.  One  by  one  we  were  retiring  to  our  hut,  when, 
as  I  looked  sea-ward,  I  observed  that  the  wrhole 
surface  of  the  ocean  was  broken  into  crisp  waves ; 
and  glancing  my  eyes  to  the  northward,  there  1 
beheld  what  no  seaman  could  doubt,  for  a  moment, 
were  the  topgallant  sails  of  a  large  ship. 

I  rushed  into  the  hut  where  my  companions 
were  sitting,  most  of  them  with  their  heads  sunk 
between  their  knees,  brooding  on  our  misfortune, 
except  Andrew,  who  stood,  with  his  arms  folded, 
meditating  on  our  future  plans,  and  asking  assist- 
ance whence  alone  assistance  could  be  given. 

"  A  sail !  a  sail  !"  I  exclaimed.  My  voice 
aroused  them  from  their  lethargy.  They  looked 
at  my  countenance  ;  and  seeing  that  I  was  in  ear- 
nest, like  madmen,  they  rushed  out  from  the  hut. 
Every  eye  was  turned  towards  the  point  I  indi- 
cated. There,  sure  enough,  was  the  sail  I  had 
seen ;  and,  without  waiting  to  secure  any  provis- 
ions, we  hurried  do*vn  towards  the  boat;  but  An- 
drew called  us  back . 


880  PETER    THE    WHAtER. 

"\Vf»  should  not  go  empty  Vuded,  males,  among 
our  new  friends,  nor  quit  those  who  have  treated 
us  so  hospitably,  without  a  word  of  farewell,"  he 
exclaimed.  "  There  is  yet  time  enough  to  do  what 
we  should  do,  and  to  pull  out  into  the  offing,  before 
the  ship  is  off  here." 

Ashamed  by  his  mild  i"^!'^,  we  went  to  the 
tents  of  our  Esnuituaux  friends,  who  still  remained 
near  us,  and  explaining,  that  a  ship,  by  which  we 
hoped  to  return  to  our  country,  was  in  sight,  we 
bade  them  f?»-ewpll.  and  msul«  them  understand, 
that,  if  we  did  not  return,  all  the  property  we  left 
behind  was  to  be  theirs.  We  saw  tears  falling 
from  their  eyes,  as  they  wrung  our  hands,  when 
we  stepped  into  the  boat,  which  they  assisted  us 
to  launch  over  the  ice. 

We  had  loaded  her  with  as  large  a  supply  of 
provisions  as  she  could  carry,  and  with  our  guns 
and  the  little  ammunition  which  remained.  Once 
in  the  boat,  we  gave  way  with  a  will,  and  pulled 
boldly  out  to  sea,  with  our  jack  at  the  end  of  a  spar 
of  three  times  the  usual  length. 

On  came  the  stranger.  0  how  our  hearts  beat, 
as  we  saw  her  hull  rising  out  of  the  water  ! 

On  we  pulled,  so  as  to  place  ourselves  directly 
in  her  course,  that  there  might  not  be  a  possibility 
of  her  missing  us.  Various  were  the  conjectures, 
as  to  what  nation  she  belonged  ;  for  it  was  seen 
she  was  not  English,  by  the  cut  of  her  sails,  and, 
as  she  drew  nearer,  by  her  build.  Some  said  Dan- 
ish, others  Dutch,  and  others  French. 

The  last  proved  right ;  for,  as  we  got  within  hail- 
ing distance,  once  more  the  voices  of  civilized  mer 
struck  our  ears.  We  could  not  understand  the 
question  put  to  us  ;  but,  when  we  sung  out  that  we 
were  Englishmen,  who  had  lost  our  ship,  a  voice,  in 
our  own  tongue,  told  us  to  come  on  board.  Wub 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES        381 

joyful  hearts  we  pulled  alongside,  and  found  our- 
selves on  board  the  St.  Jean,  whaler,  belonging  to 
the  port  of  Bordeaux. 

The  cargo  of  our  boat,  as  Andrew  had  supposed, 
was  not  unwelcome,  and  secured  us  a  warmer  re- 
ception than  we,  perhaps,  might  otherwise  have 
experienced.  The  St.  Jean  was  nearly  full,  and 
was  one  of  the  few  ships  which  had,  that  year,  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  Pond's  bay  ;  so  the  second  mate, 
who  spoke  English,  informed  us.  Most  of  them, 
afraid  of  the  early  setting  in  of  the  winter,  had 
already  gone  to  the  south,  and  must  have  passed 
out  of  sight  of  land.  Thus,  had  we  not  seen  this 
ship,  we  should,  probably,  have  had  to  pass  another 
winter  in  the  Arctic  regions. 

I  will  not  stop  to  describe  our  voyage  to  the 
south.  It  was,  in  some  respects,  favorable,  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  distance ;  but  the  crew  were  in 
a  sickly  state,  and  our  services  were,  therefore,  of 
much  value. 

The  captain  and  first  mate  both  fell  ill;  and  I 
have  reason  to  suspect,  that  our  reckoning  was  not 
kept  with  proper  accuracy.  Six  weeks  had  passed 
since  we  had  got  on  board ;  when  a  heavy  gale 
sprung  up  from  the  north-west.  As  the  night  drew 
on,  it  increased  in  fury ;  though,  as  we  had  got 
everything  snug  on  board,  we  hoped  to  weather  it 
out. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  the  mates,  for  the  master 
was  too  ill  to  attend  to  his  duty,  that  we  were  well 
to  the  southward  and  west,  and  that  we  might  keep 
away  for  our  port.  Instead,  therefore,  of  laying  to, 
we  ran  on  before  it.  The  weather  was  very  thick, 
and  we  could  scarcely  see  a  hundred  yards  ahead. 

Day  was  just  breaking,  and  we  Englishmen  were 
all  on  deck  together,  from  being  placed  in  the  same 
watch,  under  the  second  mate,  when  Terence,  who 


382  PETER    THE    WHALEH, 

was  forward,  sung  out,  with  a  startling  voice— 
"  Land  right  ahead,  land  on  the  starboard  bow  !" 

The  Frenchmen  understood  the  cry — all  hands 
sprung  on  deck.  The  mate  ordered  the  helm  to  be 
put  a-port,  and  the  yards  to  be  braced  up,  in  the 
hopes  of  being  able  to  beat  off.  It  was  too  late :  we 
were  completely  embayed.  Land  appeared  broad  on 
either  bow. 

To  have  beaten  off  with  less  sail  than  we  carried 
would  have  been  hopeless  ;  but  still  there  was  more 
than  the  ship  could  carry.  The  masts  went  by  the 
board.  Fortunately,  the  mizen-mast  went  first, 
followed  by  the  main-mast,  or  the  ship  would  have 
broached  to,  and  every  soul  of  us  would  have  been 
swept  from  her  decks.  Andrew  sprang  aft  and  put 
the  helm  up  again,  calling  me  to  assist  him  ;  while 
the  rest  ran  forward,  to  look  out  for  a  clear  beach 
to  run  the  ship  on,  for  by  this  time  we  saw  that  we 
were  too  near  to  attempt  to  anchor,  with  any  chance 
of  saving  the  ship. 

In  moments  of  sudden  peril  the  French  are  apt 
to  lose  command  over  themselves  ;  at  all  events, 
such  was  the  case  in  the  present  instance,  and  yet 
these  men  bad  gone  through  all  the  dangers  of  an 
Arctic  voyage,  but  then  they  were  dangers  for 
which  they  were  looking  out.  Even  now  they  were 
brave :  that  is  to  say,  I  do  not  think  they  turned 
paler  than  any  of  us  ;  but  they  ran  here  and  there, 
not  knowing  what  to  do,  nor  comprehending  the 
orders  of  their  officers,  while  we  were  cool  and  did 
our  best  to  save  ourselves. 

We  kept  the  helm  a-starboard,  and  steered  to  a 
spot  where  ther*  appeared  to  be  less  surf;  but  it 
was  a  fearful  choice  of  evils.  In  two  or  three  min- 
utes the  ship  struck  ;  it  must  have  been  on  a  rock, 
for  she  trembled  throughout,  and  the  fore-mast 
went  by  the  board.  All  hauls  had  run  aft,  know 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       38$ 

ing  what  must  occur.  Again  she  lifted  and  flc\v 
forward  several  yards,  but  it  was  to  strike  with 
more  violence  ;  and  the  following  sea,  before  most 
of  us  could  secure  our  hold,  came  rushing  furiously 
on  board,  and  sweeping  everything  before  it. 

I  found  myself  lifted  off  my  feet,  and  whirled 
round  in  the  foaming  billows.  ]  knew  nothing 
more  till  I  felt  my  arm  grasped  at  by  some  one  ; 
and  when  I  returned  to  consciousness  I  was  on  the 
beach  uninjured,  with  Andrew  leaning  ever  me. 

I  asked  for  our  companions  ;  he  shook  his  head 
sorrowfully.  Three  of  them  were  missing — poor 
Tom  and  two  others.  Nearly  all  the  Frenchmen 
were  lost.  We  two,  Terence,  David,  and  the  two 
others,  and  six  Frenchmen,  were  the  only  ones  who 
had  escaped.  Before  the  ship  struck  we  had  in- 
stinctively thrown  off  our  shoes  and  the  greater 
part  of  our  clothing,  so  that  we  had  nothing  on  but 
our  shirts  and  trowsers ;  and  as  none  of  the  bodies 
of  our  unfortunate  shipmates,  nor  any  clothes,  were 
washed  on  shore,  we  had  no  means  of  supplying 
oursefves. 

We  suspected  that  we  had  been  cast  away  on 
the  west  coast  of  Ireland  ;  and  we  found,  on  in 
quiry  of  some  people  who  flocked  down  to  the  shore, 
that  we  were  not  wrong.  I  am  sorry  to  say,  that 
so  eager  were  they  in  hunting  for  whatever  might 
come  on  shore,  that  they  seemed  little  disposed  to 
afford  us  any  assistance.  The  Frenchmen  were 
anxious  at  once  to  proceed  to  Dublin,  where  they 
might  get  relief  from  their  consul ;  and  Andrew 
and  the  rest  wished  to  go  there  also,  to  cross  over 
to  England  or  Scotland ;  and  Terence  because  ha 
belonged  to  that  city. 

I,  however,  was  eager  to  return  home  direct 
The  yearning  to  see  my  parents,  and  brother  and 
sisters,  agai'i  was  stronger  than  I  could  repress 


384  PETER   THE    WHALER, 

I  felt  sure,  also,  that  Captain  Dean  and  Mary,  tc 
whom  I  had  given  my  fathers  address,  would  have 
communicated  with  him,  and  that  I  should  receive 
some  news  of  them. 

With  sincere  regret  I  parted  from  that  excellent 
man,  Andrew  Thompson,  and  with  not  much  less 
from  Terence  and  the  rest ;  but  the  two  first  prom- 
ised to  write  to  me  as  soon  as  they  got  to  their 
homes. 

I  set  off  alone,  and  a  stranger,  without  shoes,  hat 
or  jacket,  to  beg  my  way  across  Ireland.  Some 
disbelieved  the  tale  I  told  of  my  disasters,  and 
turned  me  from  their  doors  ;  but  others  gave  me 
bread  and  meat,  and  the  poorest  never  refused  me 
a  potato  and  a  drink  of  milk,  for  their  eyes,  accus- 
tomed to  real  misery,  could  discern  that  I  spoke 
the  truth. 

At  length,  just  after  dark,  I  reached  the  well- 
known  gate  of  my  father's  grounds.  I  walked 
through,  and  with*  knees  knocking  together  from 
over-excited  feelings.  I  approached  the  house.  I 
looked  up  at  the  windows — not  a  light  was  to  be 
seen,  nor  a  sound  heard — my  heart  sunk  within 
me — I  feared  something  must  have  happened — 
what,  I  dared  not  ask  myself — I  sat  down  on  the 
steps,  fearful  of  inquiring. 

At  length  I  gained  courage  to  ring  the  door-bell. 
It  was  answered  by  a  loud  barking  of  dogs  from 
within,  but  no  sound  of  a  human  voice.  Again  I 
rang,  and  after  waiting  some  time,  in  my  impa- 
tience I  began  to  knock  fiercely  with  my  fists.  I 
stopped,  for  I  heard  a  window  opening,  and  a  voice 
inquiring  from  above  what  I  wanted.  It  was  old 
Molly  Finn,  the  housekeeper.  I  recognised  her 
in  a  moment.  I  told  her  who  I  was,  and  entreated 
her  to  tell  me  where  my  family  were  gone. 

:'  Och,  ye  idle  spalpeen,  get  along  with  ye,  with 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       385 

your  lying  tales  about  being  Master  Peter,  who  lias 
been  dead  these  two  long  years  or  more,"  she  ex- 
claimed, in  a  voice  of  anger.  "  Get  along  with  ye. 
I  say,  or  I'll  let  the  dogs  out  on  ye." 

'•If  you  mean  to  let  Juno  and  Pluto  slip,  you  are 
welcome,"  I  answered,  my  anger  beginning  to  rise. 
"  They'll  at  least  know  me,  and  that's  more  than 
you  seem  inclined  to  do,  Molly." 

"  Just  come  nearer  here,  and  let  me  ax  ye  a 
few  questions,  whoever  ye  are,"  she  said,  in  a  softer 
tone. 

"  Tell  me  first,  Molly,  where  are  my  father  and 
mother,  and  sisters  and  brothers — are  they  all 
alive,  and  well  ?"  I  exclaimed. 

"  Well,  then,  there's  no  harm  in  telling  ye  thus 
much  ;  they  are  all  well,  and  gone  to  Dublin,  for 
Miss  Fanny's  marriage  there  to  a  fine  gentleman 
who's  worthy  of  her  :  and  now,  what  have  ye  got  to 
say  ?" 

"  Thank  Heaven  !"  I  exclaimed,  and  burst  into 
tears,  and  sobbed  till  my  heart  was  like  to  break. 
It  was  the  giving  way  to  affections  long,  long  pent 
up,  like  the  icy  ocean  in  winter,  withiu  my  bosom. 

"  Och,  it  must  be  Master  Peter,  whether  dead  or 
alive  !"  exclaimed  the  old  woman,  disappearing  from 
the  window. 

I  had  some  notion  that  bars  and  bolts  were  being 
withdrawn,  and  in  another  instant  a  lantern  was 
flashed  in  my  face.  It  was  instantly  thrown  down, 
and  I  found  myself  hugged  in  the  dear  old  crea- 
ture's arms  ;  and  several  of  my  old  four-footed 
favorites  leaping  up  and  licking  my  face,  she  coming 
in  for  some  share  of  the  said  licking,  and  thinking 
it  was  me  all  the  time  returning  her  kisses. 

Tim,  the  stable-helper,  the  only  other  person  left 
on  the  premises,  was  now  roused  up  from  his  early 
slumbers,  and  added  his  congratulations  to  Molly's. 
33  2a 


586  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

We  went  inside  the  house  and  shut  the  doer  ;  andl 
rushed  round  to  every  room  before  I  could  sit  down 
to  eat.  As  may  be  supposed,  there  were  no  great 
supply  of  delicacies  in  the  house  ;  but  there  were 
potatoes  and  buttermilk,  and  bacon  and  eggs,  and 
what  wanted  I  more  ? 

Molly  had  actually  cooked  my  supper,  and  talked 
of  muidng  my  bed,  before  shp  discovered  how  badly 
I  was  clothed.  As  for  the  oed,  I  begged  she  would 
not  trouble  herself,  as  I  assured  her  I  should  have 
the  greatest  difficulty  in  sleeping  in  one  ;  and  I  at 
last  persuaded  her  to  let  me  have  a  mattress  and  a 
blanket  on  the  floor.  I  did,  however,  contrive  to 
sleep,  and  awoke  to  find  old  Molly  sitting  by  my 
side. 

"  Och,  the  dear  boy  ;  there's  no  doubt  of  ye  now, 
Master  Pater  !"  she  exclaimed.  "  Ye  talked  of 
them  all  in  your  sleep,  and  looked  just  like  your- 
self, ye  did  ;  and  I'll  stand  bail  that  no  one  but  ye 
could  have  done  that  same." 

I  got  a  piece  of  soap  from  Molly,  and  going  to  a 
tank  there  was  in  the  yard  under  a  pump,  by  Tim's 
aid  I  soon  made  myself  cleaner  than  I  had  been  for 
a  long  time  ;  but  we  had  a  sad  puzzle  about  the 
clothes,  for  my  father  and  brother  had  left  none. 
Tim  had  only  those  he  wore  on  his  back  and  a 
coarse  suit  :  and  money,  I  found,  was  scarce  with 
Molly. 

After  hunting  about  in  every  direction,  she  rout- 
ed out  from  an  old  chest  some,  with  which  she  came 
to  me  in  great  triumph,  saying  they  were  my  own  ; 
and  so  I  found  they  were,  but  they  were  some  I 
had  thrown  aside,  as  being  far  too  small  before  I 
went  to  sea.  At  last  I  bethought  me,  that  as  no 
money  was  to  be  had  without  much  inconveniencing 
Molly,  I  would  continue  my  journey  as  I  had  begun 
it ;  and  I  would  present  myself  tc  my  family  as  1 


•*TS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.      381 

was,  in  the  character  of  a  seaman  who  had  known 
the  lo^t  Peter,  and  had  brought  some  tidings  of 
him,  thus  breaking  gradually  to  my  parents  the 
fact  that  I  was  still  in  existence. 

I  proposed,  however,  disguising  myself  some- 
what, to  prevent  their  recognising  me.  Molly  liked 
my  plan  ;  so  filling  a  bag  with  food,  and  borrowing 
ten  shillings  from  her,  to  help  me  on  my  way  with 
greater  speed  than  I  could  otherwise  have  made,  I 
immediately  started  on  the  road  to  Dublin.  Travel- 
ling sometimes  on  a  car,  sometimes  in  a  wagon, 
where  I  contrived  to  get  some  sound  sleep,  and 
oftentimes  on  foot,  in  three  days  I  reached  the 
capital  of  Ireland. 

Beggars  in  rags  excite  no  remark  in  any  part  of 
Ireland;  so,  scantily  clothed  and  care-worn  as  I 
was,  I  passed  through  the  streets  unobserved.  I 
was  on  my  way  to  the  house  my  family  had  taken, 
when  I  observed,  walking  leisurely  along,  a  person, 
whose  figure  and  gait  I  felt  certain  I  knew.  My 
heart  beat  with  eagerness.  For  some  time  I  could 
not  catch  a  glimpse  of  his  face,  so  I  ran  on  and 
passing  him  turned  back  to  meet  him.  I  was  not 
mistaken — it  was  my  kin-l  friend,  Captain  Dean. 

My  heart  beating  vioU  ntly,  I  walked  up  to  him, 
and  said,  calmly  enough,  "  I  have  sailed  with  you, 
Captain  Dean  ;  but  I  don't  suppose  you  remember 
me,  sir." 

"  No,  indeed,  I  do  not ;  though  I  am  not  apt  to 
forget  those  who  have  been  any  time  with  me,"  he 
replied,  looking  at  me  very  hard. 

"  It's  a  long  time,  sir  ;  but  perhaps  you  may  re- 
member a  lad  of  the  name  of  Peter  Lefroy.  to  whom 
you  were  very  kind,"  I  said,  my  voice  faltering  aa 
I  spoke,  for  I  was  longing  to  inquire  after  Mary. 

"  I  remember  him  well,  poor  lad.  He  was  lost, 
with  a  whole  ship's  company,  io  the  North  Sea, 


388  PETER    THE    WHALER, 

upwards  of  a  year  ago.  But  what  do  you  know  of 
him  ?"  he  asked. 

"Why,  sir,  I  know  that  he  was  wonderfully  pre- 
served, and  now  stands  before  you,  Captain  Dean," 
I  exclaimed,  no  longer  able  to  contain  myself. 
"And  tell  me,  sir,  oh  tell  me — Mary,  where  is 
Mary,  sir  ?"  I  blurted  out,  feeling  that  I  could  not 
speak  again  till  I  heard  of  her. 

"  Peter — Peter  Lefroy,  my  good  lad,"  he  ejacu- 
lated, seizing  my  hand,  and  gazing  earnestly  in  my 
face.  "  It  is  you,  yourself.  I  ought  to  have 
known  you  at  once ;  and  Mary — she  would  know 
you— she  is  well,  and  with  your  own  sisters,  for 
she  is  to  be  one  of  Miss  Fanny's  bridesmaids, 
But  come  along,  this  will  be  a  day  of  rejoicing.'' 

Captain  Dean,  on  our  way  to  the  house  where 
my  family  was  living,  to  which  he  was  bound  when 
I  stopped  him,  told  me  that  he  had  some  time  back 
communicated  with  my  father ;  and  that  a  month 
ago.  having  made  a  voyage  to  Liverpool,  where  he 
was  obliged  to  have  his  ship  repaired,  he  had  come 
over  to  Dublin  with  Mary  to  show  her  something 
of  Ireland.  He  had  accidentally  met  my  father, 
and  introducing  himseh  to  him,  all- my  family  had 
shown  him  and  Mary  the  greatest  kindness  ;  and, 
he  added,  that  my  sisters  had  formed  a  warm 
friendship  for  her. 

My  heart  beat  when  I  heard  this  ;  but  I  did  not 
trust  myself  to  say  anything.  "  And  now,  Peter," 
said  Captain  Dean,  as  we  reached  the  door,  "  I  will 
go  in  and  break  the  joyful  news  to  all  hands." 

What  a  tumult  was  in  my  heart,  as  for  ten  min- 
utes I  walked  up  and  down  before  the  house,  wait- 
ing to  be  summoned.  At  length  Captain  Dean  open- 
ed the  door,  and  beckoning  to  me,  pulled  me  in. 
"  They  all  suspect  the  truth,"  he  observed.  "  But 
r  would  not  tell  them  till  I  had  got  you  all  readv  to 


HIS    EARLY    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES.       389 

show,  so  now  I'll  go  back  and  tell  them  I've  brought 
a  lad  who  will  let  them  know  all  about  the  long- 
lost  Peter." 

They  heard  him  speak,  and  guessing  what  was 
the  case,  they  eame  flying  down  the  stairs  ;  and  be- 
fore I  had  got  through  the  hall,  I  was  once  more  in 
th?  loving  arms  of  my  truest  and  best  friends.  Even 
niy  mother  did  not  faint,  though  she  sobbed  aloud 
foi  very  y-.<v  that  her  truant  son  had  returned. 

One  sweet  little  girl  hung  back  from  the  eager 
crowd.  I  espied  her,  and  breaking  through  them, 
she  received  a  not  less  affectionate  greeting  than 
had  my  sisters, 

With  my  subsequent  life  I  need  not  trouble  my 
readers. 

"  Well,  Peter,"  said  my  father,  after  i  h.*4  been 
washed  and  clothed,  and  had  put  on  once  more  the 
appearance  of  a  gentleman,  "you  have  come  bacK 
my  lad,  poorer  than  you  went  away  T  fear."  He 
made  this  remark,  with  the  kind  intention  of  filling 
a  purse  my  sisters  and  Mary  had  given  me. 

"  No,  father,"  I  answered,  "  I  have  come  back  in- 
finitely richer.  I  have  learned  to  fear  God,  to  wor- 
ship him  in  his  works,  and  to  trust  to  his  infinite 
mercy.  I  have  also  learned  to  know  myself,  and  tc 
take  advice  and  counsel  from  my  superiors  in  wis- 
dom and  goodness." 

"  Then,"  said  my  father,  "  I  am  indeed  content ; 
and  I  trust  others  may  take  a  useful  lesson  from 
the  adventures  of  PETER  THE  WFIALI  a. 


